When Elizabeth Finkelstein started her journey, she probably had no idea that she would eventually end up with a show on HGTV. She and her husband, Ethan, are the founders of an Instagram profile named CheapOldHouses. As you can probably guess by the name, the account is focused on posting content related to affordable old homes that the couple locates. Many of these homes are under $100,000. Even though they usually need a lot of work, they can be a great investment for someone looking to purchase a home with some character. Thanks to all of the hard work Elizabeth and Ethan have put in, their Instagram profile has officially become an HGTV show and Elizabeth is on her way to becoming an even bigger star. Keep reading to learn 10 things you didn’t know about Elizabeth Finkelstein.
1. She Grew Up In An Old Home
Elizabeth’s relationship with old homes started before she even realized what was happening. She was born and raised in a town in upstate New York called Queensbury. According to the Glens Falls Chronicle, the home Elizabeth grew up in was one of the oldest in the area and dates back to the 18th century.
2. She Doesn’t Have A Background In Real Estate
Elizabeth has become a fixture in the real estate world in recent years, but she didn’t plan on having a career in real estate. Like most other good things in life, real estate just happened to find her. Before making the Cheap Old Houses Instagram page, Elizabeth and Ethan started a business called Circa Old Homes.
3. She Is An NYU Alum
Learning new things has always been high on Elizabeth’s priority list. She went to New York University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications. Although she isn’t using her degree in the way she probably imagined, her communication knowledge is still being put to good use.
4. She Has Always Loved Preserving Old Things
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Elizabeth eventually decided to go back to school. She earned a master’s degree in historical preservation although we’re unclear which school she went to. Her passion for finding and preserving things from the past has been the cornerstone of her journey for several years.
5. She Is A Writer
Being in real estate has allowed Elizabeth to use her talents in a variety of ways. She enjoys writing, and the work she’s done on Cheap Old Houses has allowed her to do just that. Elizabeth was the real estate columnist for Country Living Magazine. However, she hasn’t contributed any pieces to the site since 2018.
6. She Doesn’t Appear To Have Any Personal Social Media Profiles
Elizabeth and Ethan’s Instagram profile currently has over one million followers, but it appears that neither of them has personal profiles outside of that. If they do, they haven’t shared them with the public. This is likely due to the fact that they like to keep their work and personal lives fairly separate.
7. She Loves Inspiring Others
Elizabeth is all about using her platform as a way to inspire people to believe that purchasing these old homes isn’t something that is out of reach for them. She believes that this is a great way to make homeownership accessible for people across the country. Now that Cheap Old Houses has aired, she hopes to reach even more people.
8. She Is Hoping Cheap Old Houses Gets Renewed
At the moment, there’s no announcement on whether Cheap Old Houses has been renewed, but Elizabeth is certainly hoping that’s the case. During an interview with Yahoo News, she revealed that she and her husband have already filmed a lot of footage for season two. I think it’s safe to say that lots of fans are hoping the show comes back, too.
9. She Genuinely Wants The Homes She Finds To Be Saved
Lots of people in the real estate business are all about flipping houses or doing massive renovations, but Elizabeth is more interested in saving and preserving the beautiful old houses she comes across. She told Yahoo News, “We always say no sleep until every house is saved”.
10. She Is A Licensed Tour Guide
Some people spend their entire lives trying to find something they enjoy doing, but Elizabeth has done a lot of cool things over the years, and one of those things was becoming a tour guide. It’s unclear when she started doing tours or how long she did them. At this point in her life, she probably doesn’t have any time to take anyone on tours.
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