Michael Cordray is one of the most familiar faces in Galveston, Texas home restoration. As cohost of Restoring Galveston on Magnolia Network, he has spent years bringing crumbling historic homes back to life alongside his wife, Ashley Cordray. Fans searching for Michael Cordray net worth details in 2026 want a real number, not a guess.
Based on public records, business data, and reported television pay, his personal net worth is estimated at 2 million to 3 million dollars. The couple’s combined wealth is closer to 3 million to 5 million dollars. No exact figure has ever been confirmed by Michael Cordray himself.
This guide covers his age, his family, his education, and the businesses that built his career. For a full explanation of how we build estimates like this, see our net worth methodology.
Michael Cordray: Age, Net Worth & Quick Facts
Estimated Net Worth
$2M – $3M
Personal estimate; the couple’s combined net worth is reported higher, closer to $3M – $5M
| Full Name | Michael Cordray |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1982 (March 18 is widely reported, not officially confirmed) |
| Age | Mid-40s (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Galveston, Texas, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.S. in Maritime Administration, Texas A&M University at Galveston (Class of 2006) |
| Occupation | Real estate agent, home restorer, TV personality |
| Known For | Co-host of Restoring Galveston on Magnolia Network |
| Company | Co-founder, Save 1900 Realty (2015) |
| Spouse | Ashley Cordray (m. April 4, 2014) |
| Children | 3 daughters – Elle, Emma & Emory |
| Years Active | 2015 – present |
Michael Cordray at a Glance: Restorer, Realtor and Reality TV Host
Michael Cordray wears three hats at once. He is a hands on home restorer, a licensed realtor, and a television personality. Together with Ashley Cordray, he runs Save 1900, a Galveston based real estate and renovation company built around saving houses that would otherwise be demolished.
That work led to Restoring Galveston, the show that introduced Michael and Ashley Cordray, and their easy on screen chemistry, to a national audience. As of 2026, Michael continues to split his time between renovation clients, his realtor duties, and filming new episodes with Ashley.
Michael Cordray Age and the Island That Made Him a Restorer
Michael Cordray was born around 1982 in Galveston, Texas, which puts him in his mid 40s as of 2026. His birthday is widely reported online as March 18. No primary source has confirmed that exact date. So readers should treat it as commonly cited rather than verified.
What is well documented is where he grew up. Michael spent his childhood surrounded by Galveston’s historic homes, many dating back to the 1800s. His father owned several rental properties on the island. That gave Michael an early, practical education in real estate long before it became his career. Growing up in a hometown built on that kind of architecture shaped the passion that later defined Save 1900.
The Cordray Family: Emil, Bootsie and Deep Roots on Galveston Island
Emil Cordray, the Man Who Started It All
Michael’s father, Emil Cordray, owned rental houses across Galveston and gave his son firsthand exposure to property upkeep and renovation from a young age. Emil passed away in 2007. Michael’s mother is Helen, known locally as Bootsie Cordray. Their family’s connection to Galveston runs deep. That local history is part of why Michael’s restoration work feels personal rather than purely commercial.
What Is Michael Cordray’s Nationality?
Michael Cordray is American, born and raised in Galveston. Beyond that, detailed information about his extended family background has not been confirmed through primary sources, so we avoid speculating further.
The Maritime Degree and the Corporate Job He Finally Quit
Michael Cordray earned a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Administration from Texas A&M University at Galveston, graduating with the class of 2006. Some online profiles mistakenly describe his degree as marine biology. But Texas A&M’s own alumni records confirm Maritime Administration as his actual field of study.
After graduating, Michael went to work in the maritime industry at Kirby Inland Marine. He stayed in that corporate job for years before finally leaving in 2015 to pursue home renovation full time. That decision, pushed along by Ashley, marked the real starting point of Save 1900 as a business rather than a side project.
Inside Michael and Ashley Cordray’s Marriage and Their Three Daughters
A Wedding Planned Almost Overnight
Ashley, a fellow Texas A&M University at Galveston graduate, is Michael’s business partner in every sense. The two met as coworkers in the maritime industry and began dating in 2011. They married on April 4, 2014, in a ceremony Ashley has described as arranged almost overnight, with a small group of family and a casual reception the same morning. More than a decade later, Michael and Ashley Cordray are still married and still running Save 1900 together.
Elle, Emma and Emory: The Cordray Girls
Michael and Ashley have three daughters. Elle was born in November 2019, Emma followed in May 2021, and Emory arrived in March 2023, on the same date as Michael’s own birthday. The girls have grown up around job sites, chickens, and beehives. That fits the hands on family lifestyle their parents are known for.
What Michael Cordray Is Actually Worth in 2026
His Net Worth Versus the Couple’s Combined Figure
No verified net worth figure for Michael Cordray has ever been published. Texas A&M, Magnolia Network, and other authoritative sources do not report a number. Save 1900 is a privately held company with no public filings.
What we can do is estimate responsibly. Based on real estate commission data, business scale, and typical television pay for renovation hosts, Michael’s personal net worth is likely in the range of 2 million to 3 million dollars as of 2026. Some profiles describe a combined Cordray family net worth of 3 million to 5 million dollars. That better reflects the couple’s shared business and property holdings. A few sites list far lower or far higher numbers. But those figures are not backed by documented income or asset data. So we treat them as unreliable.
Four Income Streams Behind the Cordray Net Worth
Michael Cordray’s income comes from several sources, not one paycheck. As a licensed realtor with Save 1900, he earns commissions on home sales across Galveston. Though the exact volume of his personal closings is not publicly documented. Second, Save 1900 buys, restores, and resells historic properties. Their very first project together, bought shortly after Michael and Ashley started dating, was a dilapidated house listed at just 55,000 dollars, according to a Texas A&M Foundation feature on the couple. That kind of low entry cost, followed by a full historic restoration, is the basic model Save 1900 has repeated many times since.
Third, television work on Restoring Galveston brings additional income. Renovation hosts on major networks are commonly reported to earn somewhere between 10,000 and 30,000 dollars or more per episode. Though Michael’s exact pay has never been made public. Fourth, the Cordrays run hospitality ventures, including the Cordray Drug Store ice cream shop, a handful of Airbnb rentals, and an event venue. All of that adds steady income beyond real estate.
From a First Flip to Seven Seasons on Magnolia Network
The First Flip and the Launch of Save 1900
Michael and Ashley’s renovation story started small. Soon after they began dating in 2011, the couple bought their first fixer upper together in Galveston, a house most buyers would have written off as beyond repair. That early project planted the seed for what became Save 1900 Realty. They formally founded it in 2015 when Michael left his corporate job to focus on restoration full time. The company’s name honors Galveston’s devastating 1900 hurricane, a nod to the island’s long history of rebuilding after neglect and loss.
Big Texas Fix, Restoring Galveston and What Came After
Television found the Cordrays not long after. A 2017 pilot called Saving Galveston aired on DIY Network, followed by a full series in 2019 titled Big Texas Fix. The show was renamed Restoring Galveston while it was still airing on DIY Network. It later moved to Magnolia Network in 2022, the title and home most viewers know today.
The series has now run seven seasons, with Season 7 premiering in November 2024. A spinoff called Restoring Galveston: The Inn followed the couple’s renovation of a 1912 boarding house into a boutique hotel. Along the way, the Cordrays have picked up local historic preservation awards for their restoration work. No new season has been officially announced as of this writing.
The Liberty Mutual Question and Other Things Fans Get Wrong
Longtime viewers have asked one question again and again on the couple’s own blog. Was Michael the man playing beach volleyball in a Liberty Mutual commercial? Ashley has confirmed directly that it was not him, despite how close the resemblance looks. Another common search is whether Michael Cordray has a Wikipedia page. As of 2026, he does not, though detailed profiles exist across entertainment and real estate sites. His public record is otherwise clean and centered on community involvement rather than controversy. Madeleine Rivera has the same gap, with no standalone Wikipedia page despite eight years at Fox News Channel.
The one notable exception came in June 2025, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Save 1900 Realty over lead paint safety rules tied to seven pre-1978 renovations from 2019. Save 1900 agreed to pay a 42,500 dollar civil penalty and to use Restoring Galveston to promote lead safety awareness. That case reflects a technical compliance issue, not personal misconduct. The company has since obtained the certification required to stay compliant going forward.
The Bottom Line on Michael Cordray’s Net Worth
Michael Cordray built his career on patience, restoration work, and a genuine commitment to Galveston’s heritage. His estimated 2026 net worth of 2 million to 3 million dollars reflects real estate commissions, renovation profits, television income, and hospitality ventures rather than one lucky break. For more on how TheWorthHub builds figures like this one, see our full net worth methodology.
Michael Cordray: Frequently Asked Questions
Are Michael and Ashley Cordray still married? Yes. They married in April 2014 and continue to run Save 1900 and cohost Restoring Galveston together.
What nationality is Michael Cordray? He is American, born and raised in Galveston, Texas.
How much are Michael and Ashley Cordray worth today? Michael’s personal net worth is estimated at 2 million to 3 million dollars. The couple’s combined wealth is estimated closer to 3 million to 5 million dollars.
How many kids do the Cordrays have? Three daughters: Elle, Emma, and Emory.
How old is Michael Cordray? He was born around 1982, which makes him in his mid 40s as of 2026.
Does Michael Cordray have a Wikipedia page? No official Wikipedia page exists for him as of 2026.
