Tuning into A&E’s ‘The Mother Flip’
Woodcreek residents Kristy Etheredge and Rebecca Franchione are the stars of the new, 10-episode, A&E program, “The Mother Flip,” that premiered August 16 on A&E.
Calling themselves the “trifecta,” Etheredge and Franchione’s third partner is contractor Roy Salinas who takes care of the construction end of things.
“When we go into a house, we look at its bones,” said Franchione. “I look at the design. I decide what walls need to be pushed out. Roy helps me determine if a wall is load bearing and other construction details. Kristy brings her clipboard to write down costs, logistics and to organize the timeline. Together, we operate like a tripod – all three of those legs have to balance.”
When asked how they met, Franchione said, “I moved to Wimberley with my family in July 2020. A week later, my dad, who lives in Arkansas, fell and I went home to help him. In order for him to stay in his house, I had to add a full bathroom downstairs for him. When I returned to Wimberley in November, my daughter was hosting a “friendsgiving” and we went outside to take a photo that showed Mount Baldy in the background. Kristy, who lived across the street, was walking her dog, and I asked her if she would take the photo. We just clicked.”
“We just hit it off from there,” said Eth-eredge. “We both live in Wood Creek and I was overjoyed to see a new mom with three kiddos move in. I’d been making a point to walk up the hill to her house. We connected that day and began exercising together. Then I had a neighbor who moved into a nursing home and the couple wanted to sell their house. I thought that this was an incredible opportunity for someone. Rebecca knew Roy who had 40 years of experience with all kinds of projects.”
When asked how they developed their successful renovation skills, Etheredge said, “Rebecca is fabulous at design. I predominantly focus on our operations, our budget contracts, getting our supplies in and trying to get the best deals. I’m really focused on protecting our bottom line so that we can make a profit. Our resourcefulness comes from being raised like that. Our parents taught us to take what we have and utilize it before buying something new. Out of necessity, we learned to be resourceful.”
Francione joined in. “I feel like we’re both naturals. I’ve lived all over the country. My now ex-husband coached college football, so we always bought houses. We also bought rental homes that had to be renovated. When my dad fell and I went home to help him, I had to think of a way for him to stay in his own home. He told me, ‘I raised you kids there and I don’t want to give it up.’ Remodeling a home, not just to live in myself, but for somebody else to get the enjoyment out of it, sparked me.”
After renovating the house in Woodcreek, the pair renovated a cabin and a house in Rainbow Ranch. After that, Etheredge said, “ºSalinas told us ‘I really think you girls will learn a lot building from scratch instead of just taking old houses and flipping them.’ So we built two new houses in Flite Acres.”
About a month after completing the projects in Flite Acres, Etheredge and Francione signed their contract with A&E. Part of the appeal of the program was the unique quality of the Hill Country.
“I always say the Hill Country is the heartbeat of Texas. I feel like we have the best music, the best food and the best scenery. We have the best of Texas right here.” said Franchione. “I sent an email to the president of a production company who creates for A&E, saying my best friend and are are flipping houses in the Hill Country, then I sent a video showing what may happen here. In the video, Kristy and I were walking down to Cypress Creek when a vulture grabbed my phone and flew away.”
The contract with A&E stipulated that the best friends renovate ten houses in five months for the ten-episode deal.
“It was perfect timing. We began filming last July and ended December 14,” remembered Frachione. “To flip 10 houses in five months is quite a feat. It was 100-plus degrees when we started and very cold in December when we ended. I appreciate A&E for challenging me to make every house unique. Not only did we feature Austin and San Antonio, but the amazing small towns in between them that showed the beauty of the Hill Country.”
New episodes of The Mother Flip will air Saturdays at 9 a.m., central time. It is also available the next day on Hulu and on live TV on Amazon and iTunes.
