Wendell’s Weekly Wins and Whiffs

Welcome to Wendell’s Weekly Wins & Whiffs — your front-row seat to the real estate rollercoaster, complete with high-fives and facepalms. Every week, I’ll peel back the curtain on life as an active investor: the triumphs, the flops, and the lessons that hit harder than a surprise plumbing leak. Whether it's a flip that exceeded expectations or a deal that tested my sanity, you'll get the real, unfiltered scoop to sharpen your own investing edge.

Author

Wendell Butler
August 14, 2025

🏆 THIS WEEK'S WIN: Our First Tide & Timber Ventures LLC Hire!

Big milestone this week for Tide & Timber Ventures LLC, our fix-and-flip and new-build business — we’ve officially added our first team member!

We welcome Cherry — a seasoned cold caller who’s joining us to supercharge our direct-to-seller marketing. Up to now, most of our deals have come through strong relationships with realtors, wholesalers, and other investors. That’s worked well, but it’s time to pump up our own lead machine.

We’ve been running direct mail campaigns (with some success), but having a dedicated cold caller should give our pipeline a serious upgrade. After two weeks of interviews — and putting candidates through our Cultural Survey Index to make sure they’d mesh with what we’re building — we knew Cherry was the right fit.

Cold calling is no easy gig (I’ll be honest — it’s not a job I’d sign up for myself), but Cherry has years of experience and the energy to hit the phones hard. She’s excited, we’re excited, and our future sellers… well, they’re about to get a lot more phone calls.

Creating new job opportunities is one of the best parts of growing this business — and this is just the start.

💨 This Week’s Whiffs – Closing Delays…

If there was a theme for this week, it would be “Hurry up and wait.”

One of our flips — the same one I talked about last week — hit yet another delay because the sellers didn’t get out of the property on time. Shocking, I know. The silver lining? We’re all set for a Monday closing… assuming they actually move out this time. We’ll be there bright and early to double-check, change the locks, and (fingers crossed) finally put a bow on this deal.

But wait — there’s more! Another project got stalled thanks to that classic real estate wild card: the appraiser. Pro tip from experience: never trust an appraiser’s timing or accuracy. This one decided to run our fix-and-flip purchase as a 3 bed / 1 bath, even though our scope clearly showed it becoming a 3 bed / 2 bath. Naturally, the value came in low — because, well, math doesn’t work when you leave out an entire bathroom.

We always overcommunicate, send comps, and do everything short of writing the report ourselves… yet about 75% of the time, something still gets botched. To the good appraisers out there — you’re rare, and we appreciate you. To the rest… let’s just say you keep life interesting.

🎯 TACTICAL TIP OF THE WEEK: Make the Most of a “Dead” Lead

Not every lead turns into a deal right away — but that doesn’t mean it’s a waste. In fact, some of our best deals have come from leads we thought were dead months earlier.

Here’s how to keep them alive:

  • Tag & track every “no” in your CRM with the reason they passed (timing, price, family situation, etc.).

  • Set a follow-up cadence — 30, 60, 90 days — and actually stick to it.

  • Update your pitch based on market changes. A seller who wanted $300K six months ago might take $260K now if rates shifted or circumstances changed.

  • Stay human. Send a “just checking in” message without pushing for a sale. Relationships outlast objections.

Dead leads aren’t dead — they’re just marinating. Keep them warm, and you’ll be the first call when they’re ready to sell.

🔦 FROM THE FIELD: The Case of the Missing HVAC

You think you’ve seen it all in real estate… until you walk into a property and realize the HVAC system is completely gone. Not broken. Not disconnected. Just… vanished.

It happened to us this week during a walkthrough on a potential flip. The seller swore everything was in place when they last checked, but clearly someone else had other plans. And here’s the kicker — it’s not uncommon.

Why this matters: Missing mechanicals like HVAC units, water heaters, or even copper piping can add thousands to your rehab budget overnight. Thieves love vacant houses because they know the stuff they’re taking is worth quick cash at the scrap yard.

Pro tip:

  • Always verify big-ticket systems are still there right before closing.

  • If the property will sit vacant for a bit, secure it — and if possible, store expensive items off-site until you’re ready to install.

In our case, the missing HVAC didn’t kill the deal… but it definitely changed the numbers. Sometimes, the field throws you curveballs — you just adjust your swing.

🎤 FINAL WORD

In this business, some weeks feel like rocket fuel… and others feel like running a marathon in flip-flops. But here’s the truth — both get you closer to the finish line.

The wins remind you why you started. The whiffs teach you how to win bigger next time. And together, they build the kind of experience no course or book can give you.

So keep making offers, keep walking properties, and keep pushing forward — even when the road gets bumpy. That’s how deals get done, portfolios get built, and dreams turn into plans.

See you out there,