Paige Hemmis may be an unlikely vision on a construction site, however the statuesque beauty is an accomplished carpenter and skilled homebuilder. Paige is self-taught, with no formal carpentry training, and is rarely to be found without a tool of some kind in her purse. This dynamic and confident Wisconsin-born entrepreneur honed her skills as co-founder of Rent to Own Investments. The private company buys houses, renovates them and develops innovative rent-to-own solutions for tenants who cannot afford the steep down payment usually required to purchase.

Paige Hemmis was born on March 17, 1972, in Wisconsin, but grew up in Chatsworth, California. Paige grew up in Chatsworth with aspirations ranging from teacher to doctor to world traveler to wedding planner to building her dream house. She’s had the good fortune to experience many of the careers of her childhood dreams. During college, Paige fulfilled her teaching penchant by teaching first aid and CPR to the University of California Santa Barbara student population. She became a licensed Emergency Medical Technician and pursued a medical internship in Virginia for a year after graduating with her Theology and Psychology degrees from UCSB. And when she accepted an International Sales Manager position for Iwerks Entertainment, she satiated her travel curiosity by serving territories throughout Asia, Australia and the U.S.

Imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit, Paige pursued substitute teaching while developing contacts in the wedding industry. She launched Simply Elegant Weddings in 2001 and continues to assist couples with planning the most important day of their lives. The natural progression of helping couples led to helping families secure their first homes. Without deep pockets, Paige used her tenacity and resourcefulness to learn all aspects of construction, including drywall, cabinetry, electrical and plumbing. She quickly became a fan of home remodeling shows and began to pursue opportunities to participate as a guest carpenter. She appeared on “Monster House,” where she was discovered by the producers of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

Paige considers her role on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” a blessing and feels extremely fortunate to make her living helping others. In between extreme makeovers, she has been working with Hollywood For Habitat For Humanity, leading all-women crews and making personal appearances to bring attention to the organization. In 2005 Paige will launch Tuff Chix™ – a collection of clothing and accessories for girls and women who believe in being strong, capable and feminine. Among the first Tuff Chix items available will be her now famous pink tool belt. When she does find rare free moments, she enjoys dining out, hiking and rock climbing, and curling up with a good mystery book.