The Boston comedy Joe McCall does a bit called Be A Man.
Do not buy land from that guy.
This Joe McCall is a civil engineer from O’Fallon, Missouri, who quit his job in 2009 on lease options and now wants you to flip a pile of dirt with his teenage sons.
The current pitch does not open on a flipped house. It opens on vacant land. Cheap. Rural. Recreational. Buy a lot for a thousand, slap it on Facebook, sell it to somebody who wants to camp, four-wheel, or get off the grid and build a cabin someday. Ten grand in ten hours. A hundred and fifty thousand part-time with the boys. That’s the pitch. In his mouth. Before I start throwing receipts.
“I flipped houses for years and years,” Joe says. “I quit my job back in 2009 thanks to house flipping. Specifically doing lease options… I have found over the last few years, especially, that flipping vacant land is my new favorite strategy.”
I can barely keep a succulent alive. You think I’m closing Putnam County acreage from my couch between DoorDash orders?
Read on for my Joe McCall / Simple Land Flips / Dirt Flippers review.
Who even is this Joe McCall?
St. Louis / O’Fallon. Entity on the paperwork: Chamberlain Holdings, LLC. Mailing address 2977 Hwy K #228, O’Fallon MO 63368. Phones (636) 249-1510 and (888) 930-3341. That’s a real mailbox, not a vibe.
Iowa State civil engineering. Power plants. LinkedIn still has the project-engineer era (Paric and the usual St. Louis contractor orbit). Interview version: he was making about 80k on the W-2, started hemorrhaging cash in the crash, leaned into wholesaling and lease options, and in 2009 the side hustle out-earned the engineering job for three months running, so he quit. That’s his telling. I’m not in the HR file.
About page: family first, God first, zoo with the kids, golf with the boys, pool with the girls. Lived in Prague twice. RV’d the Northwest. Claims his teams flipped lease options and wholesale deals without him seeing the house or talking to the seller. Older book: Making Extra Money Flipping Houses While On Vacation. New book, March 2025: Flip Dirt, Not Houses. Amazon copy says he and his teenage sons made over 150,000 in 18 months flipping vacant land part-time. Other tellings wander toward three years / a slightly fatter number. Prefer the book. Label it self-report.
Podcast: Real Estate Investing Mastery, since 2011. His site this pass: 11+ million downloads, two or three episodes a week. Speaker bios and show notes like to say 20 million since 2011. Those two numbers have not met. I’m not picking a winner without a SoundCloud admin login. Report the fight.
Cute current fact: Chamberlain Holdings is a 2026 Inc. 5000 honoree, No. 4,028. Founded 2006. O’Fallon. 11–50 people. 59% three-year growth. Inc. list, not a forensic audit. Still: that’s a real magazine list, not a Facebook badge you apply for with a plaque fee.
The dirt, in English
Joe is not asking you to swing a hammer in a flip house that smells like a divorced dad’s fridge. He’s asking you to buy vacant land. Small. Rural. Cheap. Out in the sticks on purpose. Not the lot on the path of growth where a national builder is about to plant 400 beige houses. Recreational users. Four-wheelers. Campers. People who want to shoot guns or disappear into a cabin. “You may think, ‘Well, how could that be? I’ve never seen or heard of this before.’ But put that out of your head.”
2022 version: LandWatch. Filter a state. Price under 50k. One to twenty acres. Buy an acre in Putnam County, Florida for 4,000, sell it for 15,000 to “some hillbilly who wants to cook meth or wrestle alligators or whatever Floridians do down there.” That last sentence was me being a menace, not his slide. Even after 2,000 in software and marketing, you’re pocketing about 9k and running it back. He said they were averaging two or three of these a week. His week. Not a promise about yours.
Why land instead of houses, in his mouth: less money out. Less talking to sellers — at least until after they get the offer. Friendlier if you’re introverted or you still have a job that requires pants. Systems. VAs. Automation. The M.A.D. thing on the homepage: Marketing, Automation, Delegation. Engineer brain. Spreadsheet with a baseball cap.
What that actually measures: his land-flipping hobby-turned-curriculum. 10k in 10 hours is a slogan. 150k in 18 months is a family claim in a book. Two or three deals a week was a 2022 average in a pitch. None of those are a typical-student study. His own Dirt Flippers page says the quiet part: probably less than 5% of people make any money in real estate investing. Most people quit when it gets hard. That’s on his sales page, under the 61,676-value stack. I respect a man who will scare you in the footer.
Got it? Good.
| Claim in the pitch | What it actually measures |
|---|---|
| 10k in 10 hours | Slogan + example math (buy cheap dirt, sell on Facebook). Not a median student paycheck. |
| 150k with the sons | Book: 18 months, part-time, family deal flow. Self-reported. Other tellings stretch the window. |
| 2–3 deals a week | 2022 pitch average. His shop. Not a 2026 audited run rate. |
| 11M vs 20M downloads | Site vs speaker bios. Same podcast, two trophies. Nobody showed me the raw logs. |
| <5% make money in REI | His own disclaimer. Believe this one. It’s the only number on the page that isn’t trying to hug you. |
Book: Flip Dirt, Not Houses (Mar 2025). Sales page: joe-mccall.com/get-dirt-flippers-today. Podcast claim: joemccall.com.
Pricing (yes, the pages fight each other)
Homeboy cannot pick one number and sit still. Or the internet can’t. Same sport.
Products page, live: Dirt Flippers (Simple Land Flips) 9,997. Simple Lease Options 2,497. Automated Wholesaling 497 (struck-through 997). That’s the menu if you walk in the front door.
Challenge / mentorship checkout: 997 deposit to hold the seat. Then one payment of 4,000, or three payments of 1,997. There’s also a “Dirt Flippers Course Only (from website) 9,997” selector on the same page, because one price would be too easy. Stack on that page: 6-week training they still value at 4,997, weekday coaching, a 6-month “Business Completion Challenge” (100 offers, 10+ deals for review, 100% of your money back upon completion — that’s a homework refund, not a “I got bored” refund), AI Coach bot, Automated Offer Pro, DFY FreedomSoft, first mail campaign, due diligence/comp reports, transactional lending / proof of funds, “partner with Joe on good deals,” six months of FreedomSoft. Total value 61,676. Today 9,997. That’s a Costco sample table that learned to talk.
Third-party hangover: Real Estate Bees’ 2026 Simple Land Flips writeup still says the course is 4,997 one-time. That’s the old sticker next to a new register. Prefer Joe’s own 9,997 / 997-deposit ladder. Confirm on the cart you see. Then screenshot it, because this industry updates prices the way my phone updates iOS: overnight, and only after you’ve already told someone the old number.
Refund: 30 days if you’re not satisfied with the quality. Email support@joemccall.com. After 30 days, cancel 30 days before the next bill. No partial-month refund. One refund per product. You may not return it because you didn’t make money — that’s in the purchase agreement, sitting next to the earnings disclaimer like a bouncer. There are also 97 / 197 monthly memberships you can cancel in writing. Read the terms like they might bite. Because they might.
| Surface | What it says | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Products page | Dirt Flippers 9,997 · Lease Options 2,497 · Automated Wholesaling 497 | Public |
| Challenge checkout | 997 deposit, then 4,000 or 3 x 1,997; course-only also 9,997 | Cart |
| Real Estate Bees etc. | Still quoting Simple Land Flips at 4,997 | Stale |
| Refund | 30 days for quality; no refund because income; completion challenge is separate homework | Terms |
Fetched August 2026. Menu: joemccall.com/products. Cart: get-dirt-flippers-today. Terms: refund-policy.
The review pile, with the volume down
BBB: Joe McCall / Chamberlain Holdings, O’Fallon. Accredited. A+. That’s a BBB grade. It is not a halo, and it is not “the government said he’s nice.” There are reviews on that profile about a 5-day challenge and an older Simple Land Deals complaint that later got updated after he talked to the person and refunded a portion. File under: real company, real mailbox, real complaints that sometimes get handled.
Trustpilot: joemccall.com, high 4s, on the order of ~250 reviews this pass (mirrors wander between the mid-240s and high-250s). A lot of them have 5-day-challenge energy — the “I just finished the free week and I’m transformed” genre. Day-one five-stars are a genre. Read the 1s and 2s or you’re shopping with a highlight reel.
BiggerPockets: mixed, because of course it is. There’s a whole “Joe McCall Scam? Read This Before You Buy…” thread where a student said the course felt outdated and overwhelming, the coaching thinner than the price, and the upsells (REI Simple, VA setup fees) did the thing upsells do. Other people in that world will tell you he’s the real deal and the podcast is how they learned to send mail. Forum opinion. Not a verdict. Not nothing.
No FTC case. No SEC case. Found none this pass. Don’t invent a courtroom so this feels like a Netflix true-crime thumbnail about dirt.
I wrote the 10k-in-10-hours version in September 2022 on Zuubly. Same sons, same LandWatch, same Putnam County example, free class at SimpleLandClass. The 2026 version is that pitch with a 9,997 sticker, a 997 deposit, an Inc. 5000 line, and a book you can buy at a normal bookstore price if you just wanted the idea.
Who this is for (and who should skip)
This is for you if:
- You like systems more than contractors, and the idea of vacant land doesn’t make you itchy
- You can spend real money on mail / data / software after you pay Joe, because the course is not the deal
- 9,997 (or the 997-then-balance path) is a business check, not a “I’ll figure it out” card
- You’re okay being the “regular Joe” in his testimonials — busy, not fancy, willing to make offers
Skip if:
- You wanted the Boston comedy special and a bit about being a man. Wrong Joe. Exit the building.
- You thought 10k in 10 hours was a salary, not a slogan
- You cannot survive a 30-day refund window that excludes “I didn’t make money”
- You wanted passive income and a password. This is direct mail and due diligence on a lot you will not visit
Verdict?
Joe is a real operator in O’Fallon with a real podcast, a real Inc. 5000 line, a real BBB file, and a real habit of selling the thing he just got excited about — lease options, then automated wholesaling, now dirt. The land model is internally coherent. Cheap rural lots. Recreational buyers. Less talking. More mail. The 150k-with-the-boys number is a family claim. 10k in 10 hours is a hook. 9,997 is the door. 4,997 is a ghost on other people’s blogs.
Not a scam per se. Not a treasure map. Useful if you already suspected vacant land was less stupid than a rehab and you can live with a completion-challenge refund that requires 100 offers. If you thought Dirt Flippers was a video and a weekend, sit down. He put the 5% warning on his own page. Believe the footer.
I’m good.
Q&A
Q: Is Joe McCall legit?
A: Real person. Real O’Fallon mailbox. Real Chamberlain Holdings. Real Inc. 5000 line in 2026. Real podcast since 2011. The 7-figure-student chorus is testimonials. Legit operator. Spicy slogans. Those can both be true.
Q: Is Simple Land Flips / Dirt Flippers a scam?
A: I didn’t find an FTC or SEC hammer. I found a 9,997 course, a 997 deposit, a 30-day quality refund, a completion challenge that is not the same thing, BBB A+, a pile of challenge-era Trustpilot, and a mixed BiggerPockets thread. “Oversells the 10-hour paycheck / useful if you’ll actually mail and make offers” is not “fake company.” Don’t flatten those.
Q: How much does Dirt Flippers cost?
A: Joe’s products page: 9,997. Challenge page: 997 down, then 4,000 or three times 1,997. Third-party reviews still saying 4,997 are late to the register. Lease Options 2,497. Automated Wholesaling 497. Confirm on the cart you see.
Q: Is this the Boston comedy Joe McCall?
A: No. Sit down. That Joe does “Be A Man.” This Joe does vacant lots and FreedomSoft. If you came here for stand-up, you are going to be so confused by a LandWatch filter.
Q: Did he really make 150k with his teenage sons?
A: That’s the claim in Flip Dirt, Not Houses (March 2025): over 150,000 in 18 months, part-time. Other interviews wander. I was not in the minivan with a ledger. Family deal flow. Self-reported.
Q: 11 million downloads or 20 million?
A: His site says 11+. Speaker bios say 20M since 2011. I don’t have the raw logs. When a man has two trophies for the same shelf, quote both and refuse to clap on command.
Q: What’s the 10k in 10 hours thing?
A: Buy cheap vacant land, sell it to a recreational buyer, keep the spread, work about 10 hours a week if the systems behave. Slogan. Example math. Not a W-2.
Q: What’s the Business Completion Challenge?
A: Six months. 100 offers (he says 4–5 a week). Weekly calls. 10+ deals submitted for review. Hit the homework, get 100% back. That is a completion refund. It is not “I didn’t like the videos.” Do not confuse those or you’ll write an angry email that quotes the wrong paragraph.
Q: 30-day refund?
A: Yes, for quality, via support@joemccall.com. After 30 days, you’re in cancel-the-membership land. No refund because you didn’t hit income. One refund per product. The 97/197 monthlies are a different door.
Q: BBB A+ means I’m safe, right?
A: It means he’s accredited in O’Fallon and the Bureau graded him A+. It does not mean 9,997 will turn into 10k in 10 hours. Bring your brain to the checkout. The A+ does not come with you.
Q: What’s Chamberlain Holdings?
A: The LLC on the terms. Education + consulting + they also do land deals. Inc. 5000 #4,028 in 2026. Founded 2006. Don’t mash the company into the comedian. Don’t mash it into a house-flip TV show either.
Q: Joe McCall net worth?
A: Anybody quoting a clean number is LARPing. Inc. 5000 is a growth list. 9,997 times however many Dirt Flippers he sold is napkin math. I can barely keep oat milk in the fridge. You think I’m opening his Charles Schwab?
Q: How do I stalk him like a normal person?
A: instagram.com/jvmccall. YouTube: wholesaleleaseoption. Site: joemccall.com. Support: support@joemccall.com. Address: 2977 Hwy K #228, O’Fallon MO 63368. Don’t show up with a plat map and a casserole.
Q: Who should not buy this?
A: People who wanted the comedian. People who heard 10k in 10 hours and pictured a salary. People who cannot fund mail after they fund Joe. People who will not make 100 offers and will then be shocked the completion refund didn’t fire. If you just wanted the idea, the book is sitting there for the price of a nice lunch.
Q: Okay but I still wanna make money without buying a pile of dirt in a county I’ve never visited.
A: Wild concept: build little local websites, rank them in Google, and rent the leads to real businesses. No LandWatch. No 9,997 stack. No “Chief Dirt Flipper” on a phone mockup.
It’s about as sexy as organizing the junk drawer… which is why filthy SEO goblins like me keep doing it.
If that quieter path sounds less insane than 100 offers in six months on vacant lots, start at unemployable.org.