‘The house smelled like 14 cats and broken dreams’

Jackie Coffey at Jackie the Happy Investor has flipped 1,000+ Dallas homes, owns 100+ rentals, and has learned one universal truth: No listing photo has ever captured the smell of regret. Here’s what she’s learned the hard way.

Average home price: $305,765 (down 1.7% YoY, per Zillow)
Homes that sell over list price: 17.2%
Homes that sell under list price: 66.4%
Average rent: $1,591/month

How she got started: Seeking more freedom and control over her life and income than a 9-to-5 job could provide, Coffey jumped into real estate without knowing anything and learned the ropes through trial and error. “There were moments I was overwhelmed, scared, and wondering what I had gotten myself into,” she recalls. “But over time, I realized that successful investors are not people who have all the answers. They’re just people willing to figure things out and keep moving forward when things get hard. That mindset completely changed my life.”

Her market’s pros: Dallas has earned the nickname “Y’all Street” for its booming economy, which now includes the newly formed Texas Stock Exchange alongside financial heavyweights like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. “There’s strong job growth, population growth, and a huge demand for housing,” says Coffey, who recently purchased a distressed property in the suburb of Waxahachie for $205,000, spent $24,500 on renovations, and sold it for $425,000. “This project is a great example of how profitable deals can be when investors buy right.”

The cons: “It’s gotten waaayyy more competitive,” she warns. “The ‘easy deals’ are not just sitting around waiting anymore.” Plus, taxes, insurance, labor, and material costs have increased, so investors really need to know their numbers before jumping in.

Her advice: “For the sake of all things holy, walk the house,” Coffey says. “Pictures lie. Sellers lie. Carpet definitely lies! I once bought a property that looked amazing online and then showed up in person to realize the house smelled like 14 cats and broken dreams.” She also urges investors to network like crazy. “Some of the best deals come from relationships with wholesalers, contractors, title companies, Realtors, lenders, and other investors,” she explains. “Real estate is still a people business, and Dallas has a very active investor community if you’re willing to put yourself out there.”