About the Hosts, N-Z

Learn more about all your favorite HGTV hosts

By FrontDoor.com | Published: 1/30/2012

Shortly after attending the Boston Architectural College for her master's in interior design, she landed her first TV gig on ABC Family's Knock First, working for Scout Productions (creators of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy). Taniya was one of four designers/hosts of the hit show, geared toward hip, ambitious teens. She then joined HGTV, helping homeowners get innovative with the things they already have in their homes on the edgy series FreeStyle.

Besides hosting and designing on television, Taniya is president and founder of design firm Design Digs, where she adds a fresh, clean look to both commercial and residential spaces. A large part of her company focuses on helping people get their tired homes ready for top-dollar sales through staging and mild renovations. Thus her connection with the Washington, D.C., edition of Designed to Sell.

Mike Nelson- Mike Nelson has been working on houses, cars, motorcycles, you name it for as long as he can remember. His favorite tool? Definitely the blowtorch! It's probably in his genes since his dad is an industrial roofer. Currently he is also the co-host of the "Sarah & No Name" morning show on Alice Radio 97.3 in the San Francisco Bay area, the number-one rated morning entertainment show in the Bay Area, attracting over 400,000 listeners. He is also the star of the late-night television version of the radio show.

Mike has hosted Boiling Points on MTV and was the voice of Chuck the Pit Boss in the hit Pixar animated film Cars. He is a drummer in his band, The Flames, and an avid car and motorcycle mechanic.

Mike lives in San Francisco with his wife and two young sons.

Robert North- Chicago native Robert North is a husband and father of four who began to acquire the attributes that would shape his future at the age of 17, when he joined the United States Marine Corps. He spent four years in the infantry, serving as a light armored vehicle crewman, a heavy machine gunner and a reconnaissance scout. Through his service, he learned the true meaning of hard work, perseverance and teamwork.

After his enlistment, Robert took a temporary construction job while waiting to join the police department. He discovered he had a knack for building and enjoyed the intensity of residential and commercial construction. With an offer of a carpentry apprenticeship, he changed career paths and ultimately became a union journeyman carpenter, building every thing from houses to hospitals.

Robert is one of the founding members of the Designed to Sell cast and has branched out with fellow carpenter Chad Lopez to design and build custom cabinetry and furniture. He also studies acting and has appeared in several independent and major motion pictures.

Shaun Osher- Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Shaun Osher, the president of CORE group, has assembled a team of knowledgeable, experienced and reputable agents for his New York City- based real estate firm. The CORE group represents Shaun's vision to deliver an array of brokerage and marketing services for both residential and commercial properties.

After graduating from The New School at New York University, he began his real estate career in 1994 and soon became recognized as one of Manhattan's top downtown agents. After spending several years working for one of Manhattan's large real estate brokerages, Shaun decided to start his own business.

Shaun's success and expertise is frequently sought by the media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Crain's. He also has participated in numerous industry panels and has been a guest lecturer at Columbia University and New York University.

Shaun resides in Long Island with his wife and his two daughters.

Clive Pearse- British-born Clive Pearse returns to host the third season of the highly rated reality competition, HGTV Design Star. Clive, a familiar face to HGTV viewers, began his career with the network as host of the L.A.-based team of Designed to Sell, which recently celebrated its 100th episode. He has also hosted live broadcasts of the HGTV Dream Home 2007 and HGTV Dream Home 2008 specials.

His TV career began in England, where he was best known for hosting three shows for NBC Europe. He hosted Europe's first live call-in show, the award-winning cult favorite On the Air. Later he helmed the primetime Entertainment X-Press, in which he interviewed such stars as Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Nicolas Cage. He also hosted the popular show Ushuaia, an extreme-adventures program in which he interviewed world-class explorers and adventurers.

Clive, who became an American citizen in 2002, moved to Los Angeles in 1997, where he expanded his show-business credits with a successful voiceover career. His voiceover talents can be heard in characterizations for the Academy Award?winning movie Shrek and in countless national TV and radio commercials, including spots for Jaguar, Land Rover and Ziploc.

When he's not in front of the camera, he is actively involved with animal welfare issues and works closely with his friend, Academy Award nominee Linda Blair. Clive serves as a board member of the nonprofit organization Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, in which he helps to raise awareness for abused companion animals.

Monica Pedersen- Designer, lifestyle expert and television host Monica Pedersen grew up in the world of home repair and remodeling, absorbing her father's handyman skills, as well as her mother's talents with a sewing machine. This self-taught designer developed a passion for beautiful textiles while traveling the world as a successful fashion model and incorporates what she calls her "fabric obsession" into most of her designs.

Monica's work has been featured in Domino, Chicago Home and Garden, HGTV Ideas, North Shore Magazine, as well as in the Home section of the Chicago Tribune. She is currently overseeing the renovation of an Historic Hotel of America, The Deer Path Inn, in Lake Forest, Ill. The inn's style and architecture is a perfect match for her love of the timeless appeal of the English country house style of design.

When Monica is not working with private clients or as the Chicago-based designer of Designed to Sell, she can be seen hosting HGTV's Kitchen and Bath 2008, HGTV's Dream Home 2008 and an upcoming holiday special, as well as making appearances ranging from Live With Regis and Kelly to NBC's Today show. Being hired by HGTV was a dream come true for Monica, and she is thrilled to be part of the HGTV family.

Frederick Peters-As president of Warburg Realty Partnership, Frederick Warburg Peters, an agent on HGTV's Selling New York, leads one of the oldest and most respected luxury residential brokerage firms in Manhattan. In addition to leading the firm's strategic initiatives, he continues to work as a broker for two reasons: He loves the thrill of making a deal, and he feels it keeps his finger on the pulse of the marketplace, making him a more valuable resource to his agents.

After graduating from Yale College with a master's degree and completing pre-doctoral work in music, Frederick entered the real estate business as a residential agent in 1980. He began his career working as a manager at Albert B. Ashforth for a number of years, and in 1991, he acquired and renamed the 95-year- old firm.

Since then, Frederick has expanded the company from 60 to 130 agents and from one to three locations. He is the most frequent contributor to Warburg's blog and one of the most quoted experts in the Manhattan residential real estate industry.

In January 2010, Frederick received the prestigious Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award, which recognizes meritorious service to the community by a member of The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), and in 1996 he was a recipient of REBNY's Henry Forster Award, given for a lifetime of achievement and contribution to the industry.

Maureen Powers- Maureen Powers, a designer on HGTV's The Stagers, has been a sustainable design pioneer throughout her 30-year career as an interior designer. In 1992, she founded her first environmental design firm in Oregon, where her work earned her the Women of Vision in Architecture Award and the prestigious U.S. President Sustainability Award in Education and Youth. Later, Maureen moved to Georgetown, Cayman Islands, where she developed green policies for the hotel and tourism industry, and ran a feng shui design store and consulting practice.

Over the years, Maureen has taught courses for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and schools of naturopathic medicine. She also has been involved in the development of eco-building and environmental programs. Maureen now resides in Vancouver, where she runs a design firm with her business partner and daughter, Bridget Savereux. Together, they design residential and commercial properties for clients across North America.

Rachel Reenstra- Growing up in Michigan, Rachel Reenstra had no idea what to do with her life other than make people laugh and make life an adventure. After 10 years of plugging away at acting in Los Angeles, she landed her own series on Animal Planet called Ms. Adventure, where she traveled the world comparing animal and human behavior.

Reenstra has been active in almost every kind of acting, including starring in dozens of sitcoms, commercials, voice-overs, hosting shows and performing stand-up comedy.

When she wasn't busy acting or traveling the world, she went back to school and earned a master's degree in spiritual psychology. In addition, she spent her spare time as a life coach and relationship consultant. She plays guitar, banjo and counts among her special skills her ability to laugh at anything, especially herself.

Leslie Rosenthal- As the top producer at Warburg Realty's East Side Gallery office for the last several years, Leslie Modell Rosenthal enjoys a coveted reputation of accomplishment and professionalism within the Manhattan real estate community.

Because of her expertise, Leslie has positioned herself as a sought-after real estate authority featured on HGTV's Selling New York and in leading print publications, including New York Magazine and the New York Post.

Clients and peers admire and respect the unparalleled level of market knowledge, business acumen and quality service she has consistently delivered since taking the industry by storm as "Rookie of the Year," her first year in the business. Leslie draws upon her knowledge, resources and negotiating savvy to ensure the smoothest real estate experience and best deal possible for every client.

As native New Yorker and graduate of New York University with a degree in psychology, Leslie resides with her family on the Upper East Side.

Kirk Rundhaug- Eleven years ago, Kirk Rundhaug left a successful design and business career to become a real estate agent. This career change provided Kirk with a renewed passion for design, as well as an extensive client base. He has sold many top Manhattan properties, including townhouses, high-profile condominium developments and hotel co-ops for the industry's leading developers.

Kirk has helped secure sales exceeding $2,500 per square foot, with more than 80% of the units sold within 15 months. Never content to rest on his laurels, Kirk is tireless in his passion for real estate and continues to pursue the most exclusive properties and most discerning clients.

Kirk resides in New York with his wife and two daughters.

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