The We Buy Ugly Houses® Podcast

Starting your own business doesn’t have to mean doing it alone.
Derek Douglas welcomes Scott, a new HomeVestors franchisee in Waco, Texas, to share what his first year in real estate investing has looked like. After a career in sales and previous experience as a HomeVestors vendor, Scott decided to step into business ownership alongside his partner, Darlene.
Scott explains why the franchise’s support network helped him make the leap, how Development Agent Kelly Baker has guided his decisions, and why access to experienced franchisees and vendors has been valuable as he learns the business.
They discuss building trust with sellers, following up consistently, developing local referral relationships, and using assignments alongside flips and rentals. Scott also shares the challenges behind his early progress, including cash flow, finding reliable contractors, and balancing enthusiasm with a more structured approach.
It’s a first-year perspective on the independence, work, and camaraderie of franchise ownership, with a simple takeaway from Scott: use the resources available, ask questions, and lean on people who have done it before.
Guest: Scott, HomeVestors Franchisee, Waco, TexasHost: Derek DouglasPodcast: We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast

In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, host Derek Douglas sits down with Ty East, CTO at HomeVestors, to talk about how technology and artificial intelligence are changing real estate investing, and where investors need to be careful.
Ty explains how technology supports the HomeVestors system from the moment a seller reaches out, including lead routing, call recording, AI-generated summaries, call scoring, and tools designed to help franchisees work more efficiently.
They also discuss how AI is being used for renovation planning, rehab budgets, property visuals, and even product recommendations, along with the risks that come with adopting new tools too quickly.
In this conversation, Derek and Ty cover:
How AI can support real estate investors without replacing the human element
Why data security and cybersecurity matter more than ever
The risks of AI-powered cold calling and automated texting
What investors should consider before trusting a third-party AI tool
How HomeVestors evaluates new technology before introducing it to franchisees
Why technology should make people more efficient, not get in the way of the seller relationship
Ty’s message is simple: technology is a tool. It can help investors work faster, make better decisions, and improve their processes, but real estate is still a people business, especially when someone is selling one of the most valuable assets they own.
Guest: Ty East, CTO, HomeVestorsHost: Derek DouglasPodcast: We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast

What numbers actually matter when you're trying to grow a real estate investing business?
In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, host Mike Oberholzer sits down with Brian Snider, COO of The Collective Genius, for a practical conversation about the metrics, systems, and decisions that separate growing investors from those who get stuck.
Brian explains why the number of offers made may be one of the most important metrics in the business, and how that single number connects to lead flow, acquisitions, contracts, marketing performance, cost per contract, and ultimately profitability.
Mike and Brian also dig into:
Why speed to lead still matters
The importance of consistent follow-up
Why face-to-face seller conversations can outperform phone-only acquisitions
How multiple exit strategies create more opportunities
Knowing your break-even number
Protecting cash reserves while continuing to invest
Why investors need to get more value from every lead
The role community and collaboration play in long-term growth
They also discuss the growing relationship between HomeVestors and The Collective Genius, and how experienced investors can benefit from sharing data, systems, mistakes, and strategies instead of trying to figure everything out alone.
Whether you're actively buying houses, building a real estate investment company, or trying to scale an existing operation, this episode delivers practical ideas you can take back to your business immediately.
Guest: Brian Snider, COO, The Collective GeniusHost: Mike Oberholzer, VP of Franchise Development, HomeVestorsPodcast: We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast

What actually happens between the first call from a motivated seller and closing on the property?
In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, host Mike Oberholzer sits down with Tim Brown, a HomeVestors franchisee in Pensacola, Florida, to break down his real-world process for turning leads into deals.
With nearly 10 years as a HomeVestors franchisee and more than 20 years of construction experience, Tim shares how he evaluates opportunities, prepares before meeting a seller, estimates repairs, determines ARV, makes offers, follows up, and ultimately decides the best exit strategy for each property.
Mike and Tim discuss:
Why speed to lead can make or break a deal
What Tim researches before walking into a property
How the seller's situation affects the conversation
Evaluating repairs and determining ARV
Making offers on the spot
Following up when a seller isn't ready
Navigating inherited properties and complicated situations
Deciding whether to flip, wholesale, or hold
Why new investors should be careful with major structural projects
How construction experience changes the way Tim evaluates deals
For investors who want to understand what buying houses actually looks like beyond the spreadsheets and theory, this episode walks through the process from the first seller conversation all the way to closing and choosing an exit strategy.
Guest: Tim Brown, HomeVestors FranchiseeHost: Mike OberholzerPodcast: We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast

Some of the best real estate leads don't come from a marketing campaign. They come from reputation, relationships, and becoming the investor people think of when an opportunity appears.
Mike Oberholzer sits down with HomeVestors franchisee Joeff Brown to discuss how Jeff and his brother Tim built their business across Pensacola, Northwest Florida, and Mobile, Alabama.
From major termite damage and six-figure rehabs to restoring homes built more than a century ago, Joeff and Tim aren't afraid of difficult projects. But their real competitive advantage is the network they've built around their business.
Joeff shares stories of deals coming from Realtors, contractors, title agents, neighbors, employees and everyday conversations. He explains why giving back to newer investors can create opportunities, how quality work strengthens relationships with local agents, and why repeat sellers are such a powerful validation of your reputation.
They also dig into Joeff's passion for historic Pensacola homes, the unique challenges of renovating properties from the 1800s and early 1900s, and why maintaining a growth mindset matters when markets slow down.
It's a conversation about owning your market by becoming part of it, and why relationships may be one of the most valuable assets in your real estate business.
 
 

In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, Mike Oberholzer sits down with Frankie Herrera and Albert Leon, HomeVestors franchisees and development agents in Tampa, to break down their growing co-living real estate strategy.
After dealing with the headaches of traditional rentals, Frankie and Albert began exploring a different model: renting individual furnished bedrooms while residents share the home's common spaces. They explain how certain properties can generate significantly more income than a traditional single-tenant rental while also reducing the risk of losing all rental income when one tenant stops paying.
They discuss:
What co-living looks like in practice
How they identify the right properties
Why the model can produce 2.5X to 3X traditional rental income
Who is choosing co-living and why
How they manage multiple residents under one roof
The importance of local regulations and property requirements
How they standardized their systems as the portfolio grew
The potential future value of co-living properties as income-producing businesses
Frankie and Albert also share real stories from their portfolio, lessons from their early mistakes, and why they believe co-living could become a much larger part of the real estate market in the years ahead.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Derek Douglas sits down with Boise investors Paul and Tanice to break down the four primary exit strategies every real estate investor should understand.
From assigning contracts and wholesaling to fix-and-flips and long-term rentals, they explain how each strategy fits into building a profitable business and, more importantly, how each one impacts cash flow.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, host Derek Douglas sits down with longtime investors and HomeVestors development agents Paul and Tanice to discuss the three essential ingredients every investor needs to build a successful real estate business: leads, money, and education.
Paul and Tanice share how they got started buying rentals, transitioned into full-time real estate investing, and eventually joined HomeVestors to gain access to stronger lead generation, financing resources, and a nationwide support network.

This podcast brought to you by Sherwin Williams
 
In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, host Mike Oberholzer sits down with Southern California franchisees Stephen Wong and Kimberly Sims to share their journey from corporate careers in IT to becoming full-time real estate investors. After years of discussing entrepreneurship, Stephen and Kimberly made the decision to leave the stability of their W-2 careers and invest in themselves.
They open up about what convinced them to join HomeVestors, the fears they had before launching their business, and what it was really like during their first few months as franchise owners.
Guests: Stephen Wong & Kimberly Sims Host: Mike Oberholzer Podcast: We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast

In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, Derek Douglas sits down with Steve Peterson, longtime real estate investor, former HomeVestors franchisee, and creator of Blue Squid, to talk about one of the most overlooked opportunities in real estate investing: the MLS.
Steve shares how he went from believing there were no deals on the MLS to building a system that helped him source and buy more than 100 deals a year.
They discuss why so many investors ignore MLS opportunities, how data can help identify high-probability deals, why speed matters when making offers, and how Blue Squid was built to reduce the manual work behind finding, analyzing, and tracking MLS deals.
If you’ve ever thought the MLS was too crowded, too slow, or not worth your time, this conversation may change your mind.