Here’s what they had to say about their new show and the house-flipping industry.
And also I felt like I was learning something as I was watching.
John: No, not at all.
Mary: You guys are learning with us.
That’s the only thing you’d ever know how to be.
So that made it easy to be authentic and just to be whatever … you see on TV.
And that part I really am grateful for when it comes to being able to just be yourself.
Because that’s really all that we can be.
It’s too hard to not to venture to be something that you’re not.
Just go out there and be yourself.
If people love it, great.
And if they don’t, it’s just me.
Mary: It’s John with a collared shirt and basketball shorts.
Mary: Me dressed up from head to toe.
I’m like, they’re going to hate it.
They’re going to think I’m so extra, but guess what?
It’s who I am.
I can’t help it.
It’s what it is.
John: You signed up for it.
You did sign up for it.
What was it like for Jon Pierre and Mary Tjon-Joe-Pin to leave their original career paths?
And in what ways was that really daunting?
Mary: Well, I tell you, I definitely will take an agreement.
It definitely is not something that I ever thought that we would be doing.
John came to me.
We had, at that time a five month old, our first baby.
And after a while I was like, who am I to deny him of that?
But I didn’t think that I would have to participate in it full time.
I had to come in full time.
Which by the way, at that point we were expecting our second child.
So things happen the way that they’re supposed to.
You’re doing this with two kids.
It’s not easy.
And a lot of times it’s not balanced and that’s part of the journey.
That’s something that we never expected.
So it is always a constant battle, and that’s really not the right word.
But it’s definitely just trying to figure out what is the balance?
And it’s kind of like the lady with the two scales.
It’s never quite in balance.
John: But it’s always just trying to fight to make it happen.
Mary: I don’t like the word balance.
It really is an extreme sacrifice …
But the thing about the sacrifice is that’s why you have a partner.
We really are a team and some days it really is tough.
Some days he’s working all day and all night.
And then I’m working all day and then have the kids and then put them to bed.
So it really is the sacrifice of time.
It’s almost like a … We were just talking to Scott about wrestling.
It’s like a tag team.
It’s like tag, okay, you’re it.
I got to step out of the ring …
It’s your turn.
So it really is a lot, but we always think about the goal in mind.
It definitely sounds like you have some tactics, especially some communication tactics, that are there helping.
We definitely talk a lot.
Sometimes we don’t agree and sometimes we do.
Mary: Most times.
The destination is never set.
John: It would have never happened.
You know what I mean?
It’s figuring out how do you enjoy the process, the journey of what you’re going through.
John: And keeping that at the forefront of your mind, because that will make it worth it.
Because in the end, there’s only one end.
Everything before the very end is the journey.
And you just have to enjoy that process.
What is it about the Houston real estate market that Jon Pierre and Mary Tjon-Joe-Pin love?
So, first and foremost obviously like I said, I’m from California.
I have been here my whole life.
So I’d love to know what about the Houston real estate market is really attractive to you?
Don’t tell [them] you’re leaving.
Continue to work remotely and collect all the coins.
Like Mary just said, we do have quite a few people moving to Texas, specifically from California.
Mary: 27 people a day.
John: Yeah, it’s crazy.
Mary: From California specifically.
Now the crazy part is because everyone’s moving here, the cost of living is drastically going up.
And so it’s really crazy.
And it just doesn’t work that way right now.
It’s not going to happen in one month.
We’re going to have to take your time.
We’re probably going to …
I think I’m probably averaging between five to seven offers on houses before my clients get the house.
Mary: It’s almost like the wedding day.
We’re always so hyped about that perfect wedding day and it ends up raining or something.
It’s almost like you have to prepare them for all the things.
It’s like, “Oh, I’m buying my first home.
It’s just going to be so amazing.
And it’s like, no, no, no, no.
It is going to rain on your wedding day.
It’s about the marriage.
John always tells his clients what’s for you is for you.
And you’re going to make it amazing because it’s for you.
John: It’s your home.
What moments stand out to the couple from their series, Two Steps Home?
Shifting a little bit to talk about the show, I got to watch one episode.
John: Oh man.
Mary: I’ll let you go first because we probably won’t agree.
The thing that I
Mary: Don’t give it all away.
That we put into their house to see them
Mary: React.
John: Just to react to that is just something that is really a payoff for us.
And it was really special to me.
I just had like a connection to her as a mom.
Mary: And just how hard she worked as a single mom.
I just thought that it was really something that we don’t get to see that often.
As a parent, you think about your kids and they’re the why.
We don’t need no help.
We don’t need no man.
It felt like you weren’t just doing a project for the sake of doing a project.
Mary: It was really special to do that and take what they want and make it even more.
And it really pushes us.
John: Yeah it was definitely a unique experience having to deal with COVID and filming.
And so just dealing with the COVID part for the purpose of the filming was one whole thing.
So it was definitely a unique experience.
Which is such a natural thing now, but for awhile that wasn’t the reality.
Those were parts of your home …
Growing up for me, there were definitely parts of our house that had plastic on it.
We weren’t allowed to go in those rooms and now those rooms are actually being utilized.
So I think you’ll be able to see that throughout the series that …
There are going to be some interesting spaces that we’ll be able to showcase.
“Two Steps Home” premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV with new episodes airing every Wednesday.
