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Inside Hudson Mansion With Local 'Rehab Addict'

GROSSE POINTE SHORES (WWJ) - She's the new girl on the block on the HGTV Network, but the "Rehab Addict" will always be a Detroit girl at heart.

When Nicole Curtis opens a closet door or turns a corner, the Lake Orion native is ready to tell a story.

"It's really where my love for old homes came in," Curtis told WWJ's Kathryn Larson.

The 35-year-old is not just the host of Rehab Addict, she's a proud Detroiter.

"You know, everyone has this image of Detroit of burnt down buildings, depressed housing market, no jobs, really this ugly view of it. And so for me, with this national show, I promote Detroit all the time because I know that there's beautiful homes, there's beautiful neighborhoods," she said.

Curtis took WWJ to explore the Junior League of Detroit's Designer Showplace in Grosse Pointe Shores. But the majestic 10,000 square foot Hudson Department Store Family Mansion is a far cry from what Curtis does on her show.

"I go in and rehab in neighborhoods that are usually forgotten and left behind," she said.

Restoring fixer uppers is what really rings bells for Curtis. After her starter season in Detroit on the DIY Network, Curtis is now restoring homes in Minneapolis. She said both cities share the same problem.

"What people don't realize is that when cities go in and tear down homes, it costs about $15,000 to $20,000 per home. So, if you already have a city that's under water, and then they have all these vacant homes that they have to tear down, it's just like this terrible, terrible cycle that never ends," she said.

That's why she's using her show to tell this story and bring the community back to these neighborhoods.

"So what I really want to do with season three, we're bringing it to HGTV, is getting out there and saying 'You know what? I'm a rehabber and I'm going to do this. And If I can do this, you can do this, because I don't have a million dollar budget. I'm a small town girl from Detroit, you know, I didn't grow up with money and I just worked my way to the top,'" she said.

You can watch Curtis on HGTV every Saturday morning at 8:30 and you can still catch reruns of her show airing on the DIY Network.

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