What separates "The Money Pit" from the other call-in home improvement shows is a unique combination of serious expertise mixed with a good dose of humor, including original song parodies relating to home repair woes, for example. A regular feature is "Money Pit Poop" in which Mary and Tom take a humorous look at home improvement news stories from across the country.

Designed to inform and entertain homeowners with down-to-earth home repair tips, do-it-yourself project and decorating ideas, "The show is a sort of Bob Villa meets Martha Stewart," says Tom who is regularly featured on MSNBC and CNN. A home inspector by training and a former teacher, Tom's articles have appeared in Smart Money Magazine and Reader's Digest, among others, and was a contributor to the best-selling book, "The Practical Guide to Practically Everything." During his teaching years, Tom was named "Teacher of the Year" in Toms River, NJ.

Co-host Mary Barretta is a well-known consumer advocate and do-it-yourselfer who, with her husband, designed and built the home in which they live. Mary publishes The Senior Bulletin, New Jersey's oldest newspaper for active adults.