The 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 mo...

In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, Mike sits down with Adam Schneider to break down a real estate strategy most investors never seriously consider: building long-term wealth through owner-financed mortgages instead of traditional rentals. After years of buying houses and building a rental portfolio, Adam realized that being a landlord wasn’t the legacy plan he wanted for his family...

In this episode of The We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, Derek Douglas sits down with HomeVestors Chief Growth Officer Brandon Gebers to discuss one of the company's biggest technology moves in recent years: the acquisition of Blue Squid. Why does this matter? Because real estate investing is changing. Fast. For years, many investors believed there wasn't enough opportunity on the MLS. The data told a d...

For 8 months, Jeff Hotz was technically a real estate investor — but he was running it like a hobby. He had no deals. He had paper folders in the back seat instead of a CRM. He was watching the people he trained with close houses while he sat in his car wondering if he'd made a mistake. Then something snapped. In this episode, host Derek Douglas sits down with Jeff Hotz — Marine Corps veteran, 13-...

Most new real estate investors are chasing the wrong number. In this episode, host Derek Douglas sits down with two of We Buy Ugly Houses' top operators — Rob Sturrock (Milwaukee, 20+ years investing) and Brandon Higgins (Atlanta, started with zero experience) — to break down what actually works when you're starting out, scaling up, or trying to build a rental portfolio that funds the rest of your...

Mike Oberholzer and Eli Fisher debunk the idea that "motivated sellers" are the main source of deals, showing data that true high-motivation categories (probate, pre-foreclosure) make up a tiny fraction of investor transactions. Instead, consistent profit comes from people-centered selling, disciplined follow-up, and strong systems. The episode explains how operator mindset, measurable funnels, an...

Franchisee Asim Ghani walks through a challenging flip—what went wrong (overpaying, unexpected custom repairs, a failed sewer ejector pump, and high winter utility bills), how he minimized the loss, and the lessons he now applies: build bigger contingencies, target a 12–15% net profit, move quickly, and use flexible exit strategies and network support. This episode is brought to you by Sherwin-Wil...

What does it really take to build a real estate business instead of just creating another job for yourself? In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, Larry Gibbons, HomeVestors franchisee and Development Agent in Tucson, Arizona, shares how he went from having zero real estate experience to building what he calls a true real estate ecosystem. He talks about starting while still working a...

In Episode 3 of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, Derek Douglas sits down with veteran real estate investor Lee Garland to talk about how the market has changed over the last several years and what investors need to do to stay ahead. From the COVID-era boom to today’s higher rates and tighter margins, Lee shares how he’s adjusted his buying, flipping, rental, and follow-up strategies to keep moving...

Episode 2 dives straight into the trenches of real estate investing with veteran investor Kyle Amerson, who’s been in the game for over a decade. From accidentally becoming a landlord during the 2008 crash to building a full-time investing business, Kyle breaks down what actually separates beginners from those who survive and scale.  

In this episode of the We Buy Ugly Houses Podcast, we sit down with longtime investor and HomeVestors development agent Britt Briscoe, who’s bought hundreds of homes across the country and built a reputation for spotting deals others miss. As the market leans into buyer territory, Britt breaks down what’s really happening on the ground—especially in hot Sunbelt markets like Florida—and why this sh...