I’ve been doing this for a long time—thousands of podcast episodes, countless students, and hundreds of deals—and I’ve noticed something powerful. The most successful people I’ve coached aren’t the smartest or most experienced; they’re the ones who keep things simple and stay consistent. In this episode, I break down the top ten lessons I’ve learned from my most successful clients. These aren’t theories or guru talk. This is what’s actually working for real people doing deals right now.

From why consistency always beats perfection, to how simplicity scales, to the mindset that separates the winners from the rest…this is your shortcut to real results. Whether you’re flipping land, wholesaling houses, or just starting out, these principles will keep you moving forward and making money.

What’s Inside:

—The 10 proven habits of the most successful members in the Dirt Flippers community 

—Why consistency is more powerful than perfection

—How keeping things simple builds unstoppable momentum

—The mindset that separates deal-makers from dreamers

I’ve been in the real estate game for a long time, and I’ve learned this truth—if you can master a few simple skills, you’ll never have to worry about money again. Too many investors overcomplicate things when this business really comes down to fundamentals. Whether you’re wholesaling houses, flipping land, or holding rentals, the same principles apply.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the five most important skills that every real estate wholesaler must master. We’ll talk about marketing, talking to sellers, making offers, following up, and being brilliant at the basics. If you just focus on these five, you’ll do more deals and make more money than you ever thought possible. These are the same skills my students use to quit their jobs and build real businesses.

What’s Inside:

—Why marketing is the lifeblood of every real estate business

—The simple mindset shift to get over the fear of talking to sellers

—How to make offers that get accepted (and why you should send them in writing)

—The secret behind consistent follow-up that closes 90% of deals

I was driving my daughter to school this morning, thinking about what I’d do differently if I could start all over again from high school. Truth is, I wouldn’t change much. College took me ten years, and I’ve got degrees I never really used, civil engineering and an MBA, but I’ve learned more running my own businesses than I ever did in a classroom. Still, as I’ve grown and raised four kids of my own, my perspective on college has shifted. It’s not useless. Not everyone is wired to be an entrepreneur, and college can teach valuable life lessons that you can’t always get in business.

From learning financial literacy to finding direction and discipline, there’s purpose in that journey. Whether your kids choose college or carve their own path, the key is helping them seek wisdom, take responsibility, and find what they’re truly called to do.

What’s Inside:

—Why I’ve changed my mind about the value of college

—The difference between entrepreneurs and employees

—Lessons I learned the hard way about money and taxes

—Why seeking God’s wisdom matters more than any degree

If I had to start over from scratch in real estate, I’d focus on one thing: becoming a deal finder. That’s the most important skill you can develop in this business. We are not deal creators; we are deal finders. Too many beginners waste time trying to force bad deals to work instead of finding great ones that already make sense. 

In this episode, I share exactly what I’d do differently if I had to rebuild from zero and what I believe every investor should master to build a sustainable business. It all comes down to three things: marketing, talking to sellers, and making offers. These simple skills are what drive consistent income and long-term success. Forget the distractions like logos, websites, or chasing the newest strategy. Focus on actions that move the needle. 

If you can learn to find good deals, build real connections, and make offers every day, you’ll never have to worry about where your next deal or dollar comes from again.

What’s Inside:

—The difference between a deal creator and a deal finder

—Why marketing is the real business you’re in

—How to master talking to sellers and making offers

—The three daily habits that keep revenue in first position

If you’ve ever worried about overpaying for a property or getting stuck with a bad deal, I get it—I’ve been there. One of the biggest fears new land investors have is not knowing how to value a piece of land. What if you can’t find comps? What if it’s landlocked or has zoning restrictions or wetlands you didn’t catch? In this episode, I’ll walk you through how simple it actually is to evaluate vacant land, find comps, and know exactly what to offer.

I break down my entire process for determining land value using free tools like Zillow, Redfin, and Google Maps, plus a few powerful paid ones like Regrid, Land Portal, and Prycd. You’ll see how I find comps, analyze sold and active listings, and use price-per-acre averages to get a solid ballpark value—without getting stuck in analysis paralysis.

You’ll also learn why being a conservative buyer protects your profit margins, why data matters more than emotion, and how to use my free Zillow Chrome Extension to scrape comps and instantly calculate offers. Whether you’re new to flipping land or refining your process, this walkthrough will show you exactly how to simplify valuations and make confident, profitable offers every time.

What’s Inside:

—How to find accurate land comps using Zillow, Redfin, and Land Portal

—Why price-per-acre is the simplest way to value vacant land

—Joe’s proven formula for making offers (40–50% of resale value)

—The key due diligence checks every investor should follow

The market is shifting as prices drop, sellers get more motivated, and investors start backing out. But that’s great news if you stay in the game. When competition drops, response rates go up, and that’s exactly what I’m seeing with my students and clients.

Take Janet, one of my apprentices. She made $5,400 on a land deal using a simple “urgent buyer” letter she wrote on a yellow legal pad. She’s got several more in the works. Another client just closed a $13,000 profit on a property that was 95% wetlands. The key is simple: keep marketing, talk to sellers every day, make offers, and follow up.

If you’re new, don’t sit on the sidelines. Partner with someone already doing deals, bring them leads, and split the profits. The market rewards those who take action.

What’s Inside:

—Why this cooling market is full of opportunity

—The “urgent buyer” letter that works

—Partnering with investors to close deals fast

I’ve been looking forward to this conversation for a long time. Every time I used to search iTunes for real estate investing podcasts, one name always came up at the top: Dustin Heiner. Dustin has built a life that many of us dream of. He walked away from his job at just 37 years old and now calls himself “successfully unemployed.” He spends his days with his family, traveling, and teaching others how to create financial freedom with real estate.

What I love about Dustin’s story is how relatable it is. He didn’t start with hundreds of doors or big apartment complexes. He started small, made mistakes, and learned how to do things the right way. Getting laid off was his turning point—it pushed him to build a portfolio that could provide real passive income. Now with over 30 properties, Dustin shows people how to buy the right rentals, build a business around them, and create consistent cash flow month after month.

If you’ve ever wondered whether single-family rentals can actually free you from your job, this episode will encourage you. Dustin’s story proves that when you buy right, manage right, and focus on cash flow, you can build wealth and freedom faster than you think.

What’s Inside:

—The story of how Dustin’s layoff pushed him into real estate full-time

—Why cash flow beats appreciation every time

—The right way to work with property managers and build a rental business

—How Dustin’s daughter bought her first rental at just 16 years old

One of the things I love most about land investing is how simple it really is. We are not dealing with contractors, tenants, or complicated rehabs. It is just dirt, and people are happy to sell it cheap because they are not emotionally attached to it. That means you can step in, buy low, sell a little higher, and keep the process moving quickly. In this episode, I am pulling back the curtain on how to consistently find land deals that are both cheap and fast to sell.

The truth is, success in this business comes down to four simple rules: always be marketing, talk to sellers, make lots of offers, and follow up. Most beginners overcomplicate things, but I will show you how to keep it simple and set up systems so your marketing works for you even when you are not thinking about it. When leads are flowing in every day, you do not have to chase bad deals. You can cherry-pick the good ones and keep your pipeline full.

I also walk you through how to choose the best states, counties, and zip codes to focus on. The tools I share will show you where buyers are already active so you can target the markets with the most demand and move your deals faster. 

Whether you’re brand new to land or you’ve been thinking about jumping in, this is where you’ll see just how simple it can be to build a business around flipping dirt.

What’s Inside:

—Why consistency in marketing beats everything else

—The four rules to never run out of deals

—How to choose the best states, counties, and zip codes for land investing

—Tools that make finding buyers and sellers almost effortless

One of the biggest traps in real estate is chasing shiny objects. It is tempting to look at bigger deals or new strategies and think they will get you further ahead. The problem is, when you stop doing what is already working, your pipeline dries up and you lose momentum. I have seen it happen to students and even to myself over the years.

The truth is, focus will make you rich. Every day you need to ask: what is my fastest path to cash? The answer usually comes back to the basics: marketing, talking to sellers, making offers, and following up. Those base hits may not seem flashy, but they stack up and keep the revenue flowing.

I also talk about the danger of scaling too fast. Without simple systems in place, complexity kills momentum and creates confusion. Keep things clear, consistent, and simple until they run without you. That is when you can add bigger deals or new strategies.

Stay focused, protect your momentum, and do not let distractions steal your success.

What’s Inside:

—Focus vs. shiny object syndrome

—Fastest path to cash explained

—Quick nickels vs. slow dimes

—Why simple systems scale best

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the fastest way to make money in real estate is to sell buyers what they already want instead of trying to convince them to take what you’ve got. That’s the foundation of reverse wholesaling, and once I learned it years ago, everything changed for me.

Here’s the truth: most wholesalers are running around chasing deals and then scrambling to find someone to buy them. That’s backwards. If you know your buyers, know the areas they’re buying in, and know their criteria, then your deals are practically pre-sold. You’ll close faster, you’ll negotiate stronger with sellers, you’ll lower your risk, and you’ll build long-term relationships with repeat buyers who trust you.

In this episode, I walk you through a recent land deal where we had it under contract for $215K, sold it for $260K, and generated a $45K profit just by using this exact strategy. And here’s the kicker…we didn’t even have to list it. We just called the realtors who had recently sold land in that same area, offered them a generous commission, and within a few phone calls we had a buyer lined up. This isn’t theory; this is exactly how we’re doing deals right now.

What’s Inside:

—Reasons why finding buyers first makes wholesaling easier and more profitable

—How to work with realtors to bring you buyers instead of just listing your properties

—The three different ways we close wholesale deals: assignment, double close, or taking it down

—How to create repeat buyers who come back for more deals regardless of your assignment fee