The Deed

James, a long-time friend of Sidney's, has committed the original sin in real estate—he's fallen in love with his property. It was supposed to be a quick flip, but three years later, he's still renovating the house to turn it into his dream home, and it's bleeding him dry. He's turned to his old friend Sidney for help. In return for Sidney's investment, James promises to put the house up for sale once it's done. Sidney knows selling the million-dollar home could put James on a path to financial freedom. But will James heed Sidney's advice and sell, or hold on to his labor of love and pay a hefty price?

Mike and Craig were best friends and business partners. But four years ago, they went their separate ways when they couldn't agree on the future of their flipping business. When a bargain property in one of the best neighborhoods in the city became available, they decided to work together again. The plan was simple-- buy low, give it a lick of paint, and sell for a quick profit. The plan didn't work, they're stuck with the house and it's putting their friendship under stress again. The only way out is a full gut renovation, but they can't even agree on what to do with property. Mike wants to play it safe; Craig wants to go for the big money. There's money to be made in this flip, but to make it a success, Sidney has to get the property, and their friendship, back on track.

Anne's burgeoning flipping career received a huge setback when she suffered a personal tragedy. She hopes a rundown cottage in one of New Orleans hottest neighborhoods will get her back on track—the only problem is she can't afford to buy or renovate it. Impressed by her eye for design, Sidney decides to fund the flip. But once the deal is done, he discovers the real reason Anne's been losing so much money.

Ten years ago, Emanuel and Tonya bet everything on a ramshackle house they wanted to flip but no bank would lend them the money to renovate. Fortunately, Sidney looks past the numbers. Impressed by their commitment to show their son EJ that hard works pays off, he agrees to fund the flip. Sidney soon discovers that Emanuel's desire to make up for lost time means cutting corners and making costly mistakes. If Sidney can't get Emanuel to change his ways, then the family's first flip could be their last.

Preston Tadesco is the type of a go-getter Sidney loves. At just 21, he's earned his real estate license, flipped his first property, all while studying law full-time. Sidney is impressed by Preston's hustle and instincts, but when it comes to talking budget and schedule, he soon realizes Preston has got a lot more enthusiasm than experience. Still, Sidney offers him the deal of a lifetime - a 50/50 partnership on his next flip - a deal Sidney's only ever offered once before. But, Preston nearly blows it when he gets greedy- the first sign that Preston may want too much too fast. As the demo begins, Preston's already dreaming of his next deal - so when unexpected problems with the house threaten his success, Preston just wants to be done. Ignoring Sidney's advice, he starts cutting corners that could kill their profit and his partnership with Sidney.

Wannabe developers and first-time flippers Chelsea and Porter were hoping to fast-track their success, but they've invested so much money in seminars that they're drowning in debt. They've got an already-gutted New Orleans fixer-upper on their hands, and without Sidney's help they risk losing it all. Sidney's own past gives him an edge in relating to his charges on a personal level, but he has to lay down the law when they think they know better than he does. As for the massive project, getting Chelsea and Porter to think like developers is a full-time job.