Jackie Coffey's first house flip went about as badly as a flip could go. She hired one person to handle the entire renovation. Contractors took her money and disappeared. Materials were stolen from the property. She replaced things that didn't need replacing. And after all that work, she practically broke even. But she didn't quit. In this episode of the Real Estate Educators Podcast, Kevin Amolsch sits down with Jackie Coffey, "The Happy Investor," to talk about the lessons she's learned through 22 years in real estate, more than 1,000 transactions, and helping more than 1,000 students with their own deals. Jackie shares how she got started at 21 years old while working three jobs and struggling financially, and how it took 202 phone calls to hard money lenders before someone finally said yes to her first deal. More importantly, she explains how those calls taught her to understand the numbers, speak the language of real estate, and stop treating every "no" as a failure. Kevin and Jackie break down some of the biggest fix-and-flip mistakes new investors make, including over-improving properties, choosing contractors based solely on price, paying contractors upfront, purchasing materials too early, and failing to take accountability when things go wrong. Jackie also shares one of the most important lessons from her career: you don't have to know everything before you start. You have to be willing to learn, take responsibility for your mistakes, and keep going. Whether you're preparing for your first flip or already have dozens under your belt, this episode is packed with practical lessons that could save you time, money, and plenty of headaches on your next project. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Starting real estate at 21 years old05:30 - Overcoming the fear of getting started08:15 - Finding her first fix-and-flip deal16:20 - Learning how to talk to hard money lenders23:20 - Why hard money can be so powerful for new investors29:10 - Taking accountability when a flip goes wrong34:45 - Why successful investors have to keep going38:05 - How Not to Flip a House40:40 - Jackie's pricing strategy for fix and flips Connect with Jackie Coffey Find Jackie across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram as Jackie The Happy Investor. Visit JackieTheHappyInvestor.com to learn more about Jackie's book, How Not to Flip a House, her real estate investing course, and additional resources for investors. Learn more about Pine Financial Group at pinefinancialgroup.com Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
