Meet the Teams Competing in 'Rock the Block' Season 8

After conquering homes across the country from Treasure Island, Florida, to Salt Lake City, Utah, and, most recently, Las Vegas, Nevada, Rock the Block is back for its eighth season, this time in Nashville, Tennessee. And, of course, host Ty Pennington will be there to take us through the weekly trials, tribulations and judgings as eight designers compete to clinch the highest appraised property value. This season, two teams of returning competitors, including Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt and Mina Starsiak Hawk and Scott McGillivray, are battling it out against two teams of newbie design legends, Sabrina Soto and Anthony Carrino and Paige Davis and Carter Oosterhouse. In a Rock the Block first, the teams will be transforming four houses with an identical interior footprint, but unique exterior facades — all within seven weeks and with a budget of $275,000. Ahead, learn more about the competitors of Season 8.

The 100 Day Dream Home married duo is back to defend their Season 2 winning title. On their first trip around the block, the couple won major points for their garage-to-gym conversion that featured an eye-catching glass panel door and a scenic view. Their smart choices boosted their appraisal value to $625,000, beating out Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, David Bromstad and Tiffany Brooks, and Alison Victoria and Mike Holmes.

With extensive experience both judging and competing in design challenges, like 100 Day Hotel Challenge and Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge, Brian and Mika are no doubt a threat to their fellow Season 8 Rock the Block competitors. They're the only team competing that's actually won Rock the Block. Brian’s handiwork and experience flipping houses, plus Mika’s eye for design, are sure to give the power couple an edge.

Back for her third season of Rock the Block, designer and host of Good Bones Mina Starsiak Hawk is familiar with the pressures of designing a house on a tight deadline — and how to overcome them. For Season 8, she’s paired up with fellow Rock the Block Season 7 vet and longtime HGTV host Scott McGillivray (of Renovation Resort Showdown), who comes to the table with extensive knowledge of how to renovate a home to appeal to buyers (a handy skill when the ultimate prize is awarded to the team with the highest appraisal value).

Pitted against each other during Season 7 of Rock the Block (Mina was teamed up with former pro football player Vernon Davis, while Scott was paired with singer and television personality Brooke Hogan), the two vets and real estate experts are on the same side for Season 8 — and they're a tough team to beat. They'll use their renovation and real estate expertise to craft a home that will impress the judges — and one designed to sell.

Design legends Sabrina Soto and Anthony Carrino are pairing up to take their first stab at rocking the block. As an interior designer, television host, author and, most recently, a mentor on Totally '90s House, Sabrina has a long history of helping homeowners design their dream houses. Meanwhile, Anthony comes from a background as a real estate developer, designer and co-star of Kitchen Cousins, so he has the construction expertise to transform their house into an awe-inspiring escape.

On her original show, The High Low Project, Sabrina helped homeowners get high-end looks without the high-end price tag — a skill we're sure she'll use to maximize her team's budget during Season 8. On the other hand, we expect Anthony to turn the heart of the home into a space that'll impress the judges. He has ample experience working with his family’s New Jersey construction company to transform dated kitchens into his clients’ dream spaces.

As the other two newbies to the Block, Paige Davis and Carter Oosterhouse bring combined longtime design experience. Host of one of the most popular design shows of the 2000s, Trading Spaces (as well as being a Broadway star), Paige knows what it takes to transform a boring space into one that dreams are made of — all on a budget. Carter most recently served as Sabrina's design mentor counterpart on Totally '90s House, but comes from a long background as a carpenter (his first gig was on Trading Spaces).