My first memory of flipping a house was when I was pregnant with my daughter Taylor. We bought a condo in Santa Ana, and I think we paid around $120,000. It was really exciting because when we went to auction, it was the first property we went to bid on and we won it. I remember going there and we had to have a locksmith break the door open, and there was all that excitement of not knowing what to expect when you first open the door. We made $32,000 on that first flip—it was such a rush! We also knew the production company that we're currently with was looking to do a show at the time called House Flippers, so while we were working on the house, we were actually recording the whole thing ourselves. Before all that, I was a real estate agent selling houses, but I definitely like flipping houses more than selling them for other people.
I like when we do houses in the beach cities, because we can go a little crazier with budget. It's fun to do more original things like wallpapers and high-end design. I think my favorite was this one in Costa Mesa. We did this reclaimed wood island and concrete shower tiles that also looked like wood. We did very modern furniture and floors as well—it turned out really pretty.
When you walk into my house, I have a billiard room that has a rock wall and a candelabra-type chandelier. I'm really all about lighting, so basically every room in my house has a chandelier, at least all the main ones. One mistake I learned from my own house was that I did a marble counter top, but everything you put on it etches it. Even a cold glass can leave a mark. You constantly have to refinish it, which is expensive. I'd go with a cork, which is more durable and easy to clean.
My favorite style is rustic glam: rugged materials like exposed stone or reclaimed wood but with something like a girly chandelier or pretty furniture. I love that combination of masculine and feminine elements. I also like a strong monochromatic look. My favorite colors are black, white and silver.
If the market is low or kind of crashing, that's the time to capitalize if you have cash to flip houses. And when the market is hot, they sell for more. So you can always flip houses in any kind of market.