Michael Green is a successful house flipper and the host of The Flip Factor, but at one point in time this success was just a teenage boy’s dream. At the age of fifteen, prompted by late-night infomercials, Michael bought the book No Money Down by Carlton Sheets, which planted the seed of eventually becoming a house flipper. But the road to success wasn’t always easy. Growing up next to the projects in Baltimore, Michael found himself getting into trouble, and his relationship with his dad was built on breaking the law.

At 17, Michael found himself thrown into a paddy wagon with handcuffs around his wrists. Faced with a four-year jail sentence and a cold, uncomfortable prison cell, with terrible food, scratchy blankets and no freedom, Michael had a lot of time to think. He thought about how if his life up to that point were a house, it would be a broken-down, boarded-up house. His negative patterns and limiting beliefs had eaten away at his foundation like hungry termites. Michael could either continue these patterns and let his life crumble around him, or he could step up and fix it. So he got to work on his first flip – himself.

Key Points

1. Lessons from turning a 4-year jail sentence into a successful house flipping business
2. Shifting your mindset to that of success and abundance
3. Scaling down, rather than up, to grow your business
4. Building a business that does 170+ flips per year
5. Applying the 80/20 rule to find the best deals

Lightning Questions

What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it?

• Analysis paralysis. Michael learned just enough to get started, and then learned as he went.

Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success?

• Michael plans out his next day, every evening. He finds that he is most productive in the mornings, so he plans out his next morning the evening before.

Do you have an online resource that you find valuable?

• Trello
• Podio

What book would you recommend to the listeners and why?

• Mindset by Carol Dweck

If you were to give advice to your 20-year-old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be?

• Get started. You are capable and can achieve great things. Find a mentor, educate yourself, and take action.

Resources

The Flip Factor podcast

TheFlipFactor.net

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