News and Information for the House Flipping Community

2B or Not 2B Your Own GC

Depending on your house flipping goals - a small side hustle or growing your business - it's tempting to act as your own contractor to save money in a tight market.

Title Searches, Title Insurance, and Title Binders

Many flippers are focusing on distressed properties in order to make a decent profit, but a distressed property may have other unforeseen issues aside from making it liveable.

Finding Gold in Distressed Properties

These types of homes are often sold a below-market rates and in need of repair, but you have to find them first!

Flipping Strategies for A Challenging Market

Dave Meyer, VP of Data Analytics at Bigger Pockets, published a report "The State of Real Estate Investing" outlining the factors that  lead to the unprecedented rise in housing prices.

Working with Foreclosures in 2023

Currently, residential foreclosure filings reflect a clearing of existing loan problems put on hold beginning in 2020. Zillow shares ways the small investor can locate those foreclosures.

Typical Ways a House Flipper Can Lose Money in 2023

From my foray into Chat-GPT: House flipping can be a high-risk, high-reward investment strategy, and there are several ways that a house flipper from the United States of America can lose money.

The Basics of House Flipping

With rising housing prices, labor costs, interest rates, and construction costs, it is paramount for the small investor to make the right decision.

Bob Villa’s House Flipping Tips

In the month of September 2022, Bob Villa's web site is highlighting articles on housing flipping. This series plus related links provide information on the best places to flip, selecting a property, upgrades, repairs, and saving money.

Tips to Excel in Real Estate Investing

Culled from real estate investor stories, here are 11 tips for your house flipping success.

Costly House Flipping Mistakes

Save yourself time, money and headaches by avoiding these common house flipper mistakes.
Young couple working on a house.

House Flipping tips

There are many house flipping reality shows depicting amazing before and after reveals. While most of these shows present some of the problems house flippers face, they do not highlight the real challenges and pitfalls all investors face.

Making a Profit in House Flipping

These past two years have been challenging - with competition from iBuyers, lack of inventory, rising labor and materials costs - your profit depends on making good decisions from the outset.
Young couple working on a house.

Tips on Saving Money on Your Flip

In today's tight market - competition for homes, combined with inventory and labor shortages has made it more important than ever to keep an eye on what you can control.

Running the Numbers

If you are not on the sidelines in this frenzied market, it important to have a clear understanding of what you will need to do to make your project turn a profit.

Permits and Contractors

Finding the right property can put you on to the road to success. Understanding the requirements when remodeling will have a profound affect on your bottom line. Establishing a relationship with the right contractor should help you achieve your goal.
Young couple working on a house.

Staging Your Flip

Is staging you flip worth it? Depends on the market and neighborhood. For a middle-income neighborhood, the price to stage a home might not add to the value of the home vs the sales price.

Taxes, Expenses, and Profits

Whether your house flip is part of a larger business or an individual investment, keeping your eye on the bottom line is crucial to coming out ahead.

Beyond the Basics

Beyond avoiding a bad neighborhood some things to look out for when evaluating a property are foundation problems, roof repair or replacement, and replacing the HVAC system.

The Millennial Homebuyer

Millennials are now the fastest growing segment of home buyers and are changing the home buying process. On your next real estate investment flip, part of your homework is to understand who is buying and where they are buying.
Young couple working on a house.

Smart Home Smart Flip

Not everyone will be onboard with connecting everything to a hub platform, but for the savvy house flipper, adopting one or two of the simpler enhancements most buyers are familar with may facilitate a quick sale.
Welcome mat by front door.

The 2020 Millennial and First Time Home Buyer

With the Fed holding down interest rates and as we adjust to a  "new normal," the demand for housing is strong and millennials represent the largest group of new home buyers entering the market.

Are You Considering a Foreclosure?

There are a couple of ways to buy a foreclosed home: through an auction or an REO, where a bank or government entity (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac) lists homes that have been repossessed for non-payment.

Are Foreclosure Auctions Worth It?

Buying a home at a foreclosure auction can be a great deal, if you can handle the risk and do the homework.

Investing in Yourself

Getting a real estate license will not only help you when finding and negotiating your next flip, it will save you money on fees and commissions.

Coronavirus and the Housing Market

The housing collapse in the early aughts, brought on by subprime lending is completely different from the situation today.

Becoming a House Flipper

Where to begin? Research and education is always the best path before embarking on any venture, especially where your money, time and energy are on the line.
Young couple working on a house.

How to Paint Like a Pro

When flipping a house on thin margins, painting is something any house flipper can do. This is an area you can really save money when you do it yourself and reap rewards when you do it right! 

Tips on Hiring a New General Contractor

Are you ready to invest in more a upscale property that will provide greater profit? Consider hiring a general contractor. Here are a few tips.
Young couple working on a house.

The Value of a New Bath

When making significant changes to the bath, Zillow data shows a national average return on investment for a bath remodel around 56.2%.
Young couple working on a house.

11 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start House Flipping

For many house flippers hard money is a good source of capital because of the ease and speed of the transaction.

How NOT To Get Ripped Off By Your Contractor

For a new investor, finding a trusted contractor to work with is critical. Janice Zaltman with Form Simplicity offers 8 essential tips for selecting a contractor that won’t leave the you underwater.

Hard Money Loans for Off-Market Properties

Some of the best opportunities for locating the right properties are not listed on any public real estate listing sites.

Mitigating Your Risk

Than Merrill's excellent article recommends six critical documents to help reduce your exposure to risk.

Making a Hard Money Loan Work For You

Three phases in house flipping and tips for each phase to save money.
Young couple working on a house.

Before You Secure a Hard Money Loan

There are a few questions you should ask yourself before you secure a hard money loan.

Maximize Your Budget

Spending time and money on expensive improvements can actually make your real estate investment harder to sell. Maximize your budget with these tips.

The True Cost of House Flipping

Beyond the cost of the property and the repairs, What are some of the other costs associated with flipping transaction?
Welcome mat by front door.

Adding a Fan to Your Remodel

Adding a ceiling fan is a nice detail but it's important to get the right size for the space and the optimal hanging distance from the ceiling.
Young couple working on a house.

Working With Your Contractor

Having a contractor will cost more upfront but can save you money in the long run. A contractor can keep the project on track and help insure the job does not fail inspections.

Location, Location, Location

There are plenty of articles and studies showing which cities are ripe for house flippers, but what about something closer to home?

Hard Money vs Soft Money Loans

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Bill Gassett details three main differences between hard and soft money loans for the real estate market.