Karen Laine, the beloved star of Good Bones, has transitioned into a new phase of life after her 2019 retirement from the family renovation business she once ran with her daughter, Mina Starsiak Hawk.
As detailed in the recent Good Bones: New Beginnings special, this new chapter has seen Karen make some major personal and professional changes, including a move to Wilmington, North Carolina, where she built her dream retirement home. However, her plans have taken an unexpected turn, as Laine recently put the home up for sale.
Stepping Away from the Business
In 2019, Karen made the decision to retire from her role at Two Chicks and a Hammer, the Indianapolis-based renovation business she co-founded with her daughter.
After selling her share of the business to Mina, Karen remained a part of Good Bones, continuing to captivate viewers with her charming personality and renovation expertise. Her retirement did not mark the end of her involvement in home improvement projects, however. In fact, it opened the door to new opportunities, allowing her to focus on personal ventures and explore new places.
One of the most significant changes in Karen’s life came in 2023 when she made the decision to relocate to Wilmington, North Carolina, a city she had fallen in love with during a previous visit. Following her fourth divorce that same year, Karen saw Wilmington as the perfect place for a fresh start. She purchased a fixer-upper property in the charming coastal town for $70,000 in February 2023.
The renovation project became a focal point of the Good Bones: New Beginnings spinoff, where fans got an inside look at her journey to transform the 120-year-old bungalow into her dream retirement home.
Unlike the many homes she worked on for clients or resale, this project was entirely personal. Karen embraced her creative freedom, designing every detail of the home with her own happiness in mind. From teal-colored wood floors to other unique design elements, she ensured that this house would reflect her personal style.
“I’m not doing this for a paycheck,” Karen said on the show, emphasizing that the property was meant to be her own private sanctuary.
Despite her initial intentions of keeping the Wilmington home as a personal getaway, Karen made the surprising decision to list the property for sale by owner at the end of September 2024.
She is asking for $500,000 for the one-bedroom cottage. While HGTV initially reported the home as being 525 square feet, Karen’s own listing on Zillow states that the property is actually 1,000 square feet.
As of late August, Karen had expressed her joy about the renovations taking place in the house across the street and appeared content with her Wilmington lifestyle.
However, she has not yet addressed her reasons for selling the property or clarified whether she plans to leave Wilmington altogether. Fans are left wondering what’s next for the beloved renovation star as she continues to embrace new adventures and navigate life after Good Bones.
Karen’s decision to sell her Wilmington home has left fans curious about her next steps. The property, which she purchased for $70,000 and has since transformed into a beautiful, custom-designed retreat, is now listed for $500,000.
Whether this marks the end of her time in Wilmington or just another turn in her ongoing journey remains to be seen. Fans will be eager to follow Karen’s next move as she continues to carve out her unique path post-retirement.