Michael Cordray has spent the past decade turning crumbling Galveston houses back into homes, and that work has made him one of the more recognizable faces in home renovation TV. If you’ve landed here after watching an episode of Restoring Galveston, you’re probably wondering who he really is off-camera — how old he is, who he’s married to, and how a couple with no formal restoration background ended up with a hit show on Magnolia Network. This guide pulls together the verified facts, straight from interviews and official sources, without the guesswork some other bio pages lean on.
Quick Answer
- Who is he: Michael Cordray is an American real estate entrepreneur and TV personality, co-host of Restoring Galveston on Magnolia Network.
- Age: Born March 18, 1982, in Galveston, Texas — he’s in his mid-40s as of 2026.
- Wife: Married to Ashley Cordray since April 2014; the couple co-runs their business and their show together.
- Business: Co-founder of Save 1900, a Galveston restoration and real estate company named after the deadly 1900 hurricane.
- Family: He and Ashley have three daughters together.
- Claim to fame: Restoring Galveston, originally titled Big Texas Fix, has aired since 2019 and moved to Magnolia Network after starting on DIY Network and HGTV.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Cordray |
| Born | March 18, 1982, Galveston, Texas |
| Hometown | Galveston, Texas |
| Education | B.S., Maritime Administration, Texas A&M University at Galveston (2006) |
| Occupation | Real estate entrepreneur, restoration contractor, TV personality |
| Known for | Restoring Galveston (Magnolia Network) |
| Business | Co-founder, Save 1900 |
| Wife | Ashley Cordray (married April 4, 2014) |
| Children | Three daughters |
| Years on TV | 2017–present |
Who Is Michael Cordray?
Michael Cordray grew up in Galveston, a Gulf Coast island city known for its Victorian-era architecture and its history of surviving devastating hurricanes. That backdrop shaped his career path in a very direct way. According to a 2026 profile piece, his family has deep roots on the island, and his own father owned rental properties there — an early, hands-on introduction to old houses long before television came calling.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Maritime Administration from Texas A&M University at Galveston, graduating in 2006. It’s not the degree you’d expect from a renovation star, and for good reason: restoration wasn’t his first career. He spent time working in the corporate shipping industry before he and his wife pivoted fully into real estate.
That pivot happened fast. Ashley has said that just two months after they started dating in 2011, she’d already convinced Michael they should move to Galveston and buy a house — and they found one the very next day. It set the tone for how the couple would go on to build their business: quickly, instinctively, and together.
Michael Cordray’s Age
Michael Cordray was born on March 18, 1982, in Galveston, Texas, which puts him in his mid-40s in 2026. A 2019 newspaper profile of the couple listed his age as 37 at the time, which lines up with a 1982 birth year. Some entertainment sites round his age differently or simply say “early 40s,” so treat the exact birth date as the more reliable figure.
Michael Cordray’s Wife: Ashley Cordray
Ashley Cordray is Michael’s co-star, business partner, and wife. The two met around 2008 and were friends for a few years before they started officially dating in 2011. They married on April 4, 2014, and started Save 1900 the following year. Ashley, who studied marine biology before switching her focus, also holds a degree from Texas A&M University at Galveston.
On screen, the pair split the work the way a lot of successful renovation duos do: Michael leans into construction and project management, while Ashley drives the design decisions. Michael has credited their willingness to defer to each other’s strengths as the reason their working marriage holds together under the pressure of a shooting schedule.
Family and Children
Michael and Ashley are raising three daughters, and the kids occasionally make cameo appearances on Restoring Galveston — a choice the couple has said they don’t regret. Ashley has spoken about going into labor for one of their children during a production break and being back on set within days, a detail that says a lot about how tightly the show’s filming schedule runs alongside their real life.
Beyond his immediate family, Michael has talked about the fact that his roots in Galveston go back generations, describing his children as part of a long family line on the island. That generational tie is part of what gives the restoration work on the show its emotional weight — this isn’t a business he built from a spreadsheet; it’s personal.
Career: From Shipping to Save 1900
Before restoration became a full-time job, Michael worked in corporate shipping — a field that connects naturally to his maritime degree. The leap into real estate happened almost by accident. After buying and renovating that first Galveston house early in their relationship, Michael and Ashley kept going, buying more properties, documenting the work, and eventually turning it into a company: Save 1900, founded in 2015 and named for the catastrophic 1900 Galveston hurricane that nearly destroyed the island.
Save 1900’s mission is specific: buy homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s that are at risk of being torn down, and restore them in a way that respects their original architecture and style. It’s slower, harder work than a typical flip, since these houses often come with serious foundation problems, water damage, or decades of neglect.
The Cordrays’ Instagram documentation of their projects eventually caught the attention of TV producers. Their first show, originally called Saving Galveston, aired as a pilot on HGTV in 2017 before being renamed Big Texas Fix for its first full season on HGTV and DIY Network in 2018 and 2019.
Restoring Galveston and the Move to Magnolia Network
Big Texas Fix was rebranded Restoring Galveston and eventually moved over to Magnolia Network, where it has continued for multiple seasons and become one of the network’s steady performers. The format hasn’t changed much: Michael and Ashley take on a historic Galveston property in rough shape, work through the renovation with the local contractors and craftspeople who know the island’s building history best, and reveal the finished result.
One of the show’s more talked-about episodes centered on the restoration of a historic Galveston hot dog stand rather than a house — a reminder that the Cordrays’ interest in preservation extends past private homes and into small pieces of local commercial history, too.
Michael Cordray’s House
Michael and Ashley live in a historic 1887 Galveston cottage that they renovated themselves and later moved into, revealing the finished project during an early season of the show. The home, sometimes referred to by its original owner’s name, reflects the same restoration philosophy the couple applies to their client projects. They’ve been candid on social media that their own house is sometimes the last property to get attention, since client work and filming tend to come first.
Michael Cordray’s Net Worth and Income
Exact income figures for Michael Cordray haven’t been officially disclosed, and no verified financial filing or statement from the Cordrays themselves confirms a specific number. Several entertainment and biography sites estimate his personal net worth in the low seven figures as of 2026, driven by a combination of Save 1900’s real estate sales, television income, and related business ventures. Because these figures come from third-party estimates rather than confirmed sources, they should be read as rough approximations rather than fact.
FAQs
How old is Michael Cordray?
He was born March 18, 1982, in Galveston, Texas, making him in his mid-40s as of 2026.
Who is Michael Cordray’s wife?
His wife is Ashley Cordray, his co-star on Restoring Galveston and co-founder of Save 1900. They married in April 2014.
Does Michael Cordray have kids?
Yes. He and Ashley have three daughters together, and the kids have occasionally appeared on the show.
What is Michael Cordray’s business?
He co-owns Save 1900, a Galveston-based real estate and restoration company focused on saving historic homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What show is Michael Cordray on?
He co-hosts Restoring Galveston on Magnolia Network, a series that started under the names Saving Galveston and Big Texas Fix before landing on Magnolia.
What was Michael Cordray’s job before TV?
He worked in the corporate shipping industry, a path connected to his maritime administration degree from Texas A&M University at Galveston.
How much is Michael Cordray worth?
There’s no officially confirmed figure. Various outlets estimate his personal net worth in the low seven figures, but that number is not verified.
Where does Michael Cordray live?
He lives in Galveston, Texas, in a restored 1887 cottage that he and Ashley renovated and later moved into themselves.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Cordray was born March 18, 1982, in Galveston, Texas, and holds a maritime administration degree from Texas A&M University at Galveston.
- He’s married to Ashley Cordray, his co-star and business partner since 2014.
- Together they co-founded Save 1900, a company dedicated to restoring historic Galveston homes.
- The couple has three daughters and stars in Restoring Galveston on Magnolia Network.
- Net worth figures circulating online are unverified estimates, not confirmed financial disclosures.
Conclusion
Michael Cordray’s story is really a story about staying close to home. A Galveston native with a maritime degree and a corporate job, he ended up building a career — and a family business — out of saving the very kind of houses he grew up around. That authenticity is a big part of why Restoring Galveston has resonated with viewers looking for renovation TV that feels less scripted and more real.
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