223. How a Broke College Kid Built a Business That Scales in Real Estate
The UpFlip Podcast
Losing $250k to Contractors
Josh recounts contractor fraud, fake progress photos, theft, and substance issues that derailed projects.
Imagine being a broke college student delivering DoorDash orders just to pay rent. Now, imagine taking that same obsession with efficiency—shaving seconds off delivery times—and applying it to real estate. That is exactly how Josh Janus built a $15 million portfolio with hundreds of units in just three years.
In this episode of UpFlip, Josh breaks down how he went from a $3,000 wholesale fee to managing 50+ rehab projects at once. He reveals the "Notebook Rule" that allowed him to scale, the hard lessons learned from losing $250k to bad contractors, and the exact criteria he uses to find off-market deals that no one else is looking for.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The DoorDash Mindset: How optimizing burger deliveries for tips taught Josh to identify the most motivated sellers in real estate.
The 3-Pillar Strategy: The simplified framework (Financing, Deal Flow, Network) for starting in real estate with $0.
Wholesaling 101: How Josh made his first $3,000 by selling information on a property he couldn't afford to buy.
Finding "Hidden Equity": The specific search criteria (5+ years ownership, <$140k purchase price) Josh uses to find profitable off-market leads.
The Cold Call Shift: Why asking "What’s your real estate story?" works better than "Do you want to sell?"
The BRRRR Method: Josh’s rule of thumb for buying, rehabbing, and refinancing (aiming for 70-80% of ARV).
Contractor Nightmares: How he lost $250k to drug-using contractors and the red flags you must avoid.
Vetting Contractors: The "Quality, Speed, Price" triangle—and why you should never prioritize price in the beginning.
The Notebook Rule: A daily audit habit that forces you to delegate, automate, or eliminate tasks to free up your time.
SOPs for Scale: How to write a "3rd Grade Level" Standard Operating Procedure to automate tasks like writing offers.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: DoorDash to Real Estate Empire
(01:20) The Efficiency Mindset
(05:45) How to Land Your First Wholesale Deal
(07:30) The 3 Pillars of Real Estate Success
(10:45) Finding Off-Market Deals & "Hidden Equity"
(12:45) The BRRRR Method Explained(15:30) Losing $250k: Contractor Horror Stories
(17:50) How to Vet & Manage Contractors
(21:00) The "Notebook Rule" for Delegation(25:10) The Fan Blitz: Best Purchases & Rejections
Tags: Real estate, Retail Goods, Property management, Business scaling, Passive income, Refinancing, Side hustle
Resources
Grow your real estate business today: https://www.upflip.com/course/how-to-buy-a-house
Connect with Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshjanus
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