Scaling to 40 House Flips a Year | Richard Helppie Schmieder

Episode guide

Written by The Real Estate Investing Club from the episode’s show notes (Nov 9, 2026). It summarizes what Richard Helppie Schmieder said on the show; it is not a transcript.

Gabe Petersen talks with Richard Helppie Schmieder, a Texas investor who went from a gas station job and a house hack to running a house flipping business. Richard explains how the business grew from 12 acquisitions a few years ago to 32 this year, the two hires he considers essential, why many of his deals come from the MLS, and the AI tools he built and uses. He also shares a lesson about paying contractors before the work is done.

Questions this episode answers

How do you scale a house flipping business?

What are the first key hires for a flipping company?

Can you find flips on the MLS instead of off-market?

How can AI help a house flipper find deals and control costs?

Why shouldn't you pay contractors before a job is complete?

What Richard shared

Richard started with a house hack, renting out extra rooms to cover his mortgage, which gave him the confidence to leave his job.

He says his business grew from 12 acquisitions a few years ago to 32 deals this year, with a goal of 100 profitable flips.

Richard names a project manager and an acquisition manager as the two key hires, with bonuses tied to budget and timeline.

He says roughly 40 percent of his deals come from the MLS, and working with listing agents gives his team credibility.

Richard built an AI app called Bird Dog Woof that scans MLS listings and photos to surface fixer-upper opportunities.

He uses AI to review QuickBooks data and catch contractor overpayments, which he says saves tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Richard likes Collin County and the northern Dallas-Fort Worth area for corporate and population growth.

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Show notes

Real estate investing club: house flipping with richard helppie

On this episode of The Real Estate Investing Club, I sit down with Richard Helppie, a native Texan who went from working full time at a gas station to running a house flipping business completing 40 flips a year. If you are a real estate investor curious about how to scale a flipping business, this conversation is packed with actionable real estate investing strategies you can use today.

From house hacking to 40 flips a year

Richard's real estate investing journey started with house hacking before the term even existed, buying his first property and renting out extra rooms to cover his mortgage. That single house hack gave him the confidence to leave his job and go all in on real estate. We talk about the leap of faith every real estate investor faces, how he found his business partner at a poker game, and why he treats that real estate partnership like a second marriage built on trust, communication, and working through conflict.

Scaling a house flipping business with systems and people

Richard breaks down exactly how his flipping business grew from 12 acquisitions a few years ago to 32 deals this year, with a goal of 100 profitable flips coming up. We dig into the two key hires every growing flipping business needs, a project manager and an acquisition manager, and how performance based bonuses tied to budget and timeline keep everyone aligned with company goals. This is a masterclass in real estate business systems, contractor management, and building a team that scales.

Finding off market and on market real estate deals

Most real estate investors assume flippers only buy off market, but Richard shares why roughly 40 percent of his deals come straight from the MLS and how working directly with listing agents gives his team credibility and a real edge when negotiating with sellers.

Using AI in real estate investing

Richard also built his own AI powered real estate software called Bird Dog Woof, an app that scans MLS listings and photos to surface hidden fixer upper opportunities investors would otherwise scroll right past. We also cover how he uses AI tools to review QuickBooks data, catch overpayments to contractors, and save tens of thousands of dollars a year. If you are interested in AI for real estate investing, PropTech, or real estate software, this segment is for you.

Texas real estate market and investing lessons learned

Richard shares why Collin County and the northern Dallas Fort Worth area remain one of the most exciting metro markets for real estate investors right now, thanks to explosive corporate and population growth. We also talk about a painful early lesson on paying contractors before a job is complete, a mistake every house flipper needs to avoid.

This episode is loaded with real estate investing tips, house flipping strategies, and lessons on building wealth through real estate for investors at every level, whether you are doing your first house hack or scaling toward your next 40 flips a year.

Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: richardhelppieschmieder@gmail.com

40 Flips a Year: His System for Real Estate Freedom with Richard Helppie Schmieder