I quit my job at 22 to flip houses. I'm making money, but I wouldn't do it again.

Teagan Trapp buys and sells US properties from his home in British Columbia.

Courtesy of Teagan Trapp.

Teagan Trapp, a Canadian living in British Columbia, invests in US real estate.

He wanted to buy properties in Canada, but said he could make more money in the US.

He's had success so far, but the business isn't for everyone.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Teagan Trapp, 24, a Canadian based in Kelowna, British Columbia, who buys and sells real estate in the US through his company Blue Peak Ventures.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, all my life up until a year ago when I moved to Kelowna, British Columbia , in September 2025.

I grew up thinking I was going to go to university and get a job working for the government with a good pension and paychecks.

For three years, I worked as an HVAC and refrigeration mechanic as a commercial service tech.

I would work up on roofs, I would work at hospitals on ice machines or on their commercial kitchen equipment, walk-in coolers, and walk-in freezers.

I would work in ceiling spaces, on air handling units, and in crawl spaces.

I would work in all kinds of very difficult areas where most people would not work.

Growing up, my dad had rental properties — he still has them — and all my life I was around them.