What Is Entailed In Flipping Houses 101

By Matt Baumberger


For those who have the resources to buy a run-down house at a good price and have a team of people to help make the improvements there is a lot of money to be made in flipping houses. It isn't an easy business, but with practice it could become a very lucrative endeavor. Expect to run over budget, things can come up that are not always visible. Flipping Houses 101 is not for everyone.

Finding the right house at the right price is easy when there is a lot of property on the market for sale, but when there isn't one needs to get creative. Purchasing property when interest rates are low is a smart idea as well for those who need to finance their purchases.

The standard way of looking for properties used to be the MLS, or the Multiple Listing Service, but a competitive market requires more ingenuity. People are attending real estate auctions to find houses to flip as well as short sales. There is no guarantee that a short sale will close and it can tie up the investor for months with nothing gained in the end.

It is best to do a little homework in the neighborhood to get an idea of property values before purchasing a house to flip so that one can get an idea of the profit that might be made. Partnering with a good Realtor could offer sound advice on market values or hiring an appraiser could be worth the couple of hundred dollars they charge to get an assessment on a property. Be ready to deal with lots of paperwork from permits to insurance coverage.

Having the right team to do the job is critical to keep costs down. A project manager is a great idea so that they can manage the entire project, stay on site to watch the sub-contractors, and keep things organized and moving along. It is also necessary to set a time line as the mortgage could be due if it takes longer than a month and it has been financed.

A 15 percent profit is considered the least amount of profit that a flip should produce. Make sure to buy in an area that is desirable to buyers, location is very important. Remember to make the outside as appealing as the inside, curb appeal is important as it is the first thing people see and the home should be inviting.

Keep the flip all business and don't get emotionally involved. Select neutral colors for the walls and floors, select things that will appeal to the majority of the buyers and use good quality appliances that match. The bathroom and kitchen should be updated as these rooms increase the value of the property. Start small with a simple renovation and work up to more complicated projects in order to make the most profit when Flipping Houses 101.




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