On March 1, 2025, James Dainard’s newest real estate reality TV show, Million Dollar Zombie Flips, will premiere on A&E’s Home.Made.Nation. The show follows real estate investor, broker, and entrepreneur James Dainard and his team as they find, fix, and flip so-called “zombie houses” across Seattle.
Who Is James Dainard?
For nearly 20 years, James has been involved in real estate investment and has founded a number of impactful businesses. To date, the real estate investor has participated in over 4,000 real estate investment transactions and earned more than $1 billion in direct-to-investor sales.
James is the co-founder of the Heaton Dainard Real Estate brokerage firm, as well as the founder of Intrust Funding, a lending company for real estate flippers, and Project RE, a platform that educates investors on the process of fixing and flipping properties.
In addition to his investments and entrepreneurial ventures, James is the host of the real estate podcast On the Market, where he shares insights from his life and work. He is also the author of The House Flipping Framework, which outlines why house flipping is a scalable investment—not just a one-time strategy.
What Is a Zombie Home?
A zombie home, or zombie foreclosure, refers to a property that is currently in the foreclosure process where the owner has vacated after defaulting on their mortgage, but the process has not been finalized. This places the home in a situation where neither the bank nor the owner fully owns the house, so the real estate market often skips over such properties to avoid the associated liabilities. By transforming these houses into million-dollar homes, James mitigates the risk of taking on a zombie home.
The Premise of Million Dollar Zombie Flips
Million Dollar Zombie Flips is James’ first venture into television, not only providing insight into his work and investment strategy but also entertaining global audiences. The reality TV-style show will focus on a group of rookie house flippers who race to transform zombie houses into multimillion-dollar homes within a given time and budget. While James provides the funding and the plan, the rookie flipper oversees the actual renovation.
Once a rookie flipper completes their renovation, James and his team will assess the project to determine whether they met the goals he outlined. If the rookie flipper succeeds, they split the profit with James—if not, James takes over the process and keeps the full profit. Not only does James show rookie flippers exactly what it takes to build million-dollar homes, but he also raises the stakes for TV.
“One thing I’m very passionate about is the idea that real estate can lead to financial freedom,” James said in an interview with CBS19 News. “We partner with flippers to help them fund their deal, help them get into it and give them the right plan and blueprint to become profitable and transform these homes. I thought it would be really cool to show [that] anybody can do this, anybody can get involved.”
A New Approach for Real Estate TV
Million Dollar Zombie Flips brings a fresh approach to real estate TV and is an entirely new venture for James as a real estate investor. The show will feature renovations that put millions of dollars on the line and also have the potential to sell for much more. This model aligns with the vision of A&E’s Home.Made.Nation, providing engaging house-flipping entertainment for the viewer.
“I am excited about Million Dollar Zombie Flips,” James said. “It is a standout show that will shape the real estate reality TV space.”
Together with his team, James invites families, investors, and flipping enthusiasts who are looking to enter the house-flipping market. To see the first episode of Million Dollar Zombie Flips, visit A&E’s Home.Made.Nation on March 1, 2025.
