Mistakes In Flipping

Flipping Houses in 2009

Just a couple of years ago, if you are in the business of flipping houses, it would have been near impossible to find great properties that you can buy and sell off quickly. Flipping houses is not a new business model. Many investors and real estate brokers have been involved in flipping houses to make a quick profit. In brief, here is how it works.

In order for this business model to work, you must first find a property that you know you can sell off quickly at a profit. How do you do that? You can do so when you have your key metrics at your finger tips. The key metrics are: market value of the property, the asking price of the property, and the potential selling price of the property. Let’s take a look at each metric, and see how they come together to help you make the right decision.

1) The market value of the house.

Every house has a market value. The market value of a property is the dollar value of similar properties in the area. Not everybody knows the market value of a house. Sometimes, even the homeowners are not aware of the market value of their own homes. That’s because they are not in the real estate industry, and they do not follow property trends. You can easily ascertain the market value of a property by having a qualified valuer value the house. Even without a proper valuation, you should have a good idea of how much the house is worth.

2) Asking price of the property.

When times are good, demand for property is high. Therefore, the asking price during such times may even be higher than the actual valuation. That’s why it is difficult to find great deals while the economy is booming. It is not impossible though. It just takes more time and effort.

However, during a downturn, jobs are lost, and many homeowners may be forced to sell their properties at low prices just to meet their financial obligations. Now is the time to grab as many bargains as you possibly can.

Of course, as you acquire the properties, you should always keep in mind that since it’s the downturn, there may be a lack of buyers. If you really want to flip houses in 2009, then you must be confident of the third point.

3) The potential selling price of the property.

This is what separates the professionals from the amateurs. The professionals already have a ready pool of customers. They are likely to be in the real estate business longer than most people, and they have a wide network of contacts. When they buy a property, it’s very likely that they already know the potential selling price of the property. In other words, they have a few ready buyers in mind.

This helps to minimize risks. The pros are confident that they can flip the houses and make a quick profit. The amateurs may just buy, and hope to sell off quickly. When that doesn’t happen, they get stuck with the property, and run into cash flow problems.

If you are serious about flipping houses, be sure to learn as much as you can about this trade.

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Flipping in Housing Bubble or Slow Market

It has become quite evident over the past months that the housing market is experiencing a significant slowdown; in some parts of the country this has been more evident than in other areas. This change in the market has created wide speculation about what is happening as is always the case with everything that ever happens in any market, be it oil, stocks, commodities or housing.

I am sure by now that everyone has heard the speculation referring to the slowdown as a housing bubble, meaning that home prices are drastically inflated and that a “burst of the bubble” or drastic nationwide decline in home values is inevitable.

I personally do not believe that a bubble exists but I do think price adjustments are and will be occurring in some areas of the country based simply upon the supply and demand.

The current excess in supply comes not only from new construction but also from a record number of foreclosures happening as a result of rising mortgage payments “resets” on adjustable rate mortgages, making it impossible for some to pay for their home.

With all of this activity and uncertainty in the market it can be very discouraging and quite easy to join many others that have gone to the fence to sit and watch. My thoughts are that money is never made by sitting on the fence doing nothing; my experience has been that doing nothing has always got me nothing!

Flipping a house in slower market conditions does represent greater risks and requires more caution and due diligence to what housing prices are doing and what you can buy and sell for, it is definitely a time to be more selective and certain about the choices you make. House flipping always requires a good understanding of your market and what it is doing but the bargains can always be found no matter what conditions exist.

When housing prices are in decline it is a good idea to keep things more on the simple side, lean more toward the cosmetic fixers. Limit the scope of your makeovers and upgrades to what you know will add value, don’t over due things.

Have a solid plan before beginning your rehab projects and know exactly what improvements you plan to make to the house. The more work you can do yourself the better your profit potential will be. If you do hire work to be done be sure of your help, you don’t want to be at the mercy of undependable hired help slowing you down. Keep your turn around time as short as possible so that the house is back on the market as quickly as possible. Don’t flip out, keep flipping!

Joe Cabrera Flipnfix.com