Maya BrownOvercoming Fear After a Fix & Flip Flop
I can’t stress this enough; fixing and flipping homes is nothing like it looks on TV.
On screen, it’s all high-fives and fast profits. A great deal falls into someone’s lap, a couple of “uh-oh” moments pop up but get resolved in record time, and everyone rides off into the sunset with pockets full of cash. All in under 30 minutes. Who wouldn’t want to earn a year’s salary in a few months?
That dream pulled me in a few years ago. I dove into the world of fix and flips and, honestly, my first experience was almost too good to be true. Inventory was low, interest rates were even lower, and sellers ran the show. That first flip went off without a hitch. My confidence? Through the roof. I couldn’t wait to dive into the next project.
But that second dive? There was no water in the pool. Splat.
Fueled by my early success, I underestimated my budget and timeline. I over-improved the property. I didn’t dig deep enough into the research. The home turned out beautiful, but beauty doesn’t sell when timing is off, and in this case, the market shifted dramatically. Interest rates rose, buyer activity slowed, and my “sure thing” just sat. And sat. And sat some more.
The loss was significant. It impacted my family in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I rallied for one last flip to try and make up some of the loss, but the financial damage was done. My real estate investment journey, while packed with lessons, hard-earned experience, and three beautiful homes, ended in the red.
For about two and a half years, the idea of flipping again haunted me. It was always there, in the back of my mind. But fear kept me on the sidelines, fear of making another costly mistake, fear of letting down my family again.
Then I started working full-time at Pine Financial Group.
And unlike HGTV, I got to see real people, people in my city, in my neighborhood, building wealth through real estate. I saw the hard parts, the unexpected repairs, the tight margins, but I also saw persistence pay off. I started paying close attention to the flips that were working. I studied what our successful borrowers were doing differently. Slowly, that fear started to lift. And that competitive spark I thought I’d lost started to return.
I started thinking… why not me?
And just like that, I closed on my fourth fix and flip.
Maybe you’re sitting on the sidelines, too. Maybe you’re waiting for the “right time” to do your first flip. Or maybe, like me, you’ve already had your wake-up call, and you’re scared to take another risk. I get it. I’ve been there.
But I’m here to tell you—it’s okay to be scared. What matters is moving through it. Learning from your losses. And having the courage to try again.
I’m officially back in the game—and this time, I want to take you on the journey with me.
Keep checking our website and social media for updates on my new project—I’ll be sharing the wins, the lessons, and everything in between. Let’s flip the fear together.