Property Investment For Profit: Flip or Flop

Flipping houses refers to an investor buying a property and selling it in a short amount of time for a profit.  A property can be flipped without making any repairs if it is bought at the right price or a property can be flipped after performing renovation to some extent.  Flipping can be a very profitable, but also very risky.

Keys To A successful Flip:


1. Know your market- This is crucial.  You have to know the value of your area.  Know what comparable properties have sold for, and the competition.  MLS is a great tool for market info.  Public record will have information on sold properties. Local newspapers will have some information, but it is not very extensive.  Talk to real estate agents who have been in the business for a while and get a feel from them about value.  Be sure that you have a full understanding of the condition of the comps.

2. Search for a bargain- There are many reasons why a property will be undersold, especially today with the flavor of the market rich in foreclosure.

• Auctions are a great way to acquire property cheap.  Local newspapers will advertise scheduled auctions.  You can also subscribe to auctioneers' website listings and the auctions will automatically be sent to you.  Companies such as  Hudson and Marshall have an online bidding process.  They deal  with a lot of REO (bank owned) property.  I have actually bought 2 houses from them myself.  One of them I acquired for 50% of the list price, the other about 75% of list.  Banks are willing to negotiate because they want to unload foreclosed property as quickly as possible.  They sell significantly under the value to get rid of it quick.  Often times they take a loss.  I love to purchase from banks because they are great with negotiation.  You can really get a good deal.

• MLS - Search keyword such as "handyman special", "developer", "investor", "needs work", "motivated seller".  These properties are not for just anyone and are more difficult as they may require special financing due to the condition.  Watch the "Days on Market" and check the number of price reductions.  These are keys to price negotiation.  The longer a property is on the market the lower the offers.  Multiple price reductions is always a clear indication of willingness to negotiate.  A desperate seller is the best kind of seller.  Some folks are pressured by a pending divorce, court orders, Town Health orders, etc. When a seller is under the gun, they will sometimes act irrationally and agree to a price that is much less than the value.  

• Contact the Owner - If you happen upon a property that looks abandoned and distressed, contact the owner and ask them if they would be willing to sell it, or, you may even be able to acquire the property for FREE!!!

• Realtors - Build relationships with real estate brokers.  They will often contact an investor as soon as a new listing is signed that meets the investor's criteria.  It is especially helpful to promise back the listing on the other side of the flip.  When it is completed let them resell it for you.

3. Run the Numbers - Then run them again and again.  Run them until you are sure that you have a good deal.  Be sure to include purchase price, fees, closing cost, liens to be paid, rehab expense, realtor commission and financing costs.  Subtract this figure from the anticipated sales price.  You will be "into" the property for X amount and you will sell for X amount, which leaves a profit of X amount.  Make sure that your profit is significant to make the deal worthwhile and be sure that you will be able to absorb unexpected costs and still come out on top.

4. Examine Financing Carefully -  Distressed properties are very difficult to finance conventionally.  Hard money is extremely expensive and the deadlines are tight.  It is easy to lose. and lose big. when dealing with loan sharks. Be careful.

5. Renovate for the Masses - Be true to the style of your house.  Keep your own taste out of it.  Remember you won't live there.  Use neutral colors.  Provide features that are in demand for your target buyers.  Be sure your work is quality.  Don't cut corners.  It will only come back to haunt you later.  Address issues that may arise at the Home Inspection.  Do not over-improve by installing items that are costly and won't pay back.  Be careful not to cut out any of your target buyers, like constructing a swimming pool in a family neighborhood.

6. Get in and out Quick - Time is money.  Get it done fast and move on to the next deal.  If you work all day, then don't try to do the work yourself at the project.  What you save here, you may loose there.

7. Don't be Greedy -  Your first offer may be your best offer.  Be careful about holding out for a better offer, when already have a good one.  Don't let your property sit on the market costing you money.  Price to sell.  Make your piece and get out.



Be realistic and Savvy.   Does your deal make sense?  Is it a no- brainer or will you be hoping for the best?  How long will it really take to get the property flipped?  How much will it really cost?  These are factors that will have a direct impact on profiting or losing on the deal.  If your unsure, then you had better consult with someone who knows.  Have a back-up exit strategy, just in case you are unable to sell your flip, have a plan to rent, move-in, re-finance etc.  If your too nervous or something doesn't seem right, then don't do it.  There will always be another good deal.  Savvy investors know when to pass and when to pounce.

woburn.  I received an award from the Historic Commission for this renovation.  http://www.wickedlocal.com/woburn/town_info/history/x1300270458

FREE HOUSES!!! (Really)

The bulkreotrader is running a contest to give away 3 free houses.  For those who do not win, there are ways, to get your own free property.  I have had 2 owners in the past couple of months contact me to take the deed of their property for free. Both properties are near mine and both need work, but they are free nonetheless.  One of them would require back tax and water to be paid.  The other requires no payment...and... the owner will even cover the cost of the title insurance. (I have not taken advantage of either of these deals simply because I am in the middle of an extensive renovation of my own house and  could not oversee these properties from out-of-town at the moment.  It would just be a distraction.)
These deals are out there, mostly in depressed areas of the country.  Some owners simply want the property out of there hands.  They don't want the liability of owning it.  They may have the Health Department or the Building Department in their town pressuring them to make repairs that they can't afford.  It isn't difficult to acquire deals like this.  Here's How:


Be Realistic - Your neighbor down the street in your quaint suburban neighborhood isn't going to deed his house to you for nothing.  I don't care how much work it needs.  Search depressed run down areas where folks don't realize the hidden value in the real estate.


Don't count on flipping - More times than not these types of free properties don't have much turnaround profit margin.  The value lies in the rental.  The real estate market of theses areas is very low and that's why they are free.

Abandoned - Look for properties that are boarded.  That is a sure indication that they are vacant and may have been abandoned. Look for overgrown yards and busted windows.  Check to see if the electric and gas meters are in place.

Utilities - Call the Electric and Gas Company.  They will usually be able to tell when the last time the service was on.  That is the best indication of how long the property has been vacant.

Public Record - This is a great tool for locating owners.  Also, check the town's real estate assessment records to see where the tax bills are going.

Back Taxes/Water/ Liens - Generally, when you acquire a free property it has been abandoned by the previous owner, which means they are probably tax deliquent.  There may also be an outstanding water bill.  There may be other liens on the property such as mortgages.  These types of liens and bills will carry over to a new owner.  Be sure to check how much is owed before finalizing the deal.


Expect to Renovate - Almost 100% of the time free properties will need to renovation. Free properties are run down and most have been neglected for years and years, that's why they are free.  Some of them may need extensive rehab, while others may need clean-up and fairly minor repairs.

Watch Hidden Costs - Upon examining the property it may not be obvious that all of the copper has been stolen or that the pipes had burst at one time.  Also, dry rot may be hidden in the walls.  The furnace and hot water heater may be fried (if they are there at all).  The roof may leak and the house may need other repairs that aren't completely obvious at first glance.

Weigh the Cost to Value Ratio - Just because the property is free, doesn't automatically make it a good deal.  Calculate the cost to renovate plus the cost to pay off liens, taxes and water, then decide if the property will still fall below the market value.

Examine Market Conditions - Is there a reason why this property has been abandoned.  If the property is not saleable or rentable when it's complete. then it's useless, unless your plan is to sit on it and hope the market improves.

Be Wise, Not Foolish - Savvy investors know when to pass, and when to pounce.

13 Days and Counting...finally stopped raining.

We have these massive, sunken in, trench hole impressions all over the back yard.  Looks like an earthquake hit.  The rain soaked the soil and the trenches that we had covered back up with soil are starting to re-appear.  Some parts of the yard are so soft that when you step, your entire foot sinks.

Tomorrow I'll have to have the guys take some soil from the basement to fill it in.  Did I mention that I was digging up the basement floor?  We broke up the old concrete slab with a sledge and jack hammer (my neighbors love me).  So now it's time to dig the floor down and pour a new slab.  I have to do this because I need 7' of headspace for the basement rental unit and now I only have 6'8".

Anyhow, I'm a little pissed at my plumber.  I asked him 3 times if the exhaust flume for the tankless water heater needed to go inside the wall.  He told me "no", 3 times.  Now today he tells me that it does.  Are you kidding me?  The bloody drywallers are coming Friday.  I hope that he gets it done by then.
This tankless number will be interesting. I've never used one before, but I guess they are supposed to be very efficient and very fast.  We'll see.  I'll report back on that.

So, the drywall and plaster supplies arrived today.  35 sheets of board.  He told me that they would start Friday instead of tomorrow and be done by Sunday.  I'm fine with that.  It only leaves me about a week to wrap up everything else, but there's nothing that I can do, so I'm not going to stress myself out.  (Yeah..right...as I spit out the tip of my nail)

Still haven't figured out any paint colors, but I did get a painter ready for Sunday or Monday or... whenever.
I really don't think that I'm going to make my deadline with so many delays, but I'm going to continue to push anyhow.

...and the rain falls.

My carpenter hurt his back today.  I'm sure that this will put him out of commission for at least a few days at best.  Those pesky back injuries never heal quick.  He must have pulled a muscle.
I can't get a damn paint estimate to save my life.  I can't even get a return phone call.  The one guy that I did get an appointment with, cancelled.  I'm seriously thinking of painting the guest house myself.  It will be tricky with the baby, and I really hate to take time from other things that I could be doing, like shopping for flooring and the finishing touches.  I'm going to have to make some more phone calls tomorrow and see if I can get someone.  Maybe I'll have to arm the kids with brushes and see what happens...lol.  But seriously, I'd better think of something quick as time is a tickin'.
On a more positive note.  The plasterer showed up today as promised.  I really like him. He has the board being delivered tomorrow and hangers scheduled for Thursday.  He says that he'll definitely be done by Saturday.  I really need painters in here on Sunday.
Still haven't chosen paint color yet, but hopefully tomorrow I'll nail it down.
It's been pouring for 2 days straight.   Think the rv sprang a roof leak. The kids were pulling wet Pokemon cards out of the cabinet today.  I'm not even going to bother fixing it. I just want out of here. Pronto.

14 Days and Counting

I got the insulation sign off  yesterday!!!  The guest house is now oficially ready for drywall and plaster. I got a few estimates about a month ago when I was blissfully ignorant thinking that it would only take a week or so to get the ground dug up and utilities in. I absolutely must finish before the start of school September 7th. I called one of the drywall contractors, my first choice, and he told me that he wouldn't be able to get to it until next week. My second choice said probably Thursday and that the job would be complete by Saturday. I'm not sure if I beleive him or not. He is supposed to come by this afternoon to measure, hopefully he shows. I don't have any room for error. Even if he does come through as promised, I will only have about a week to do finish carpentry, paint, flooring and get in there. I'm not sure if I will make my goal.

I really need to make some final choices on finish. Up to this point I havn't taken much time to think about this stuff because I have been so preoccupied with the other aspects of the job.

I know that I will do wood flooring in the main space. I am tired of red oak in a natural finish. I like maple, but it is too soft. I was thinking of going with bamboo, but my builder friend said that it scratches easily, with 5 kids that obviously won't work. I do know for sure that I"ll do pre-finished wood flooring. I would like something in a nice reddish or cinnamony tone. Maybe I'll check out Lumber Liquidators tomorrow and see if they have any good deals.

I have no clue what direction I will head with wall color. I need to choose a color for the main part of the room and another color for the bath. I was thinking maybe white wainscotting with a blueish/greeninsh shade up above for the bath. Either that or a rich beige to compliment the Espresso bath furniture.

One thing is for sure. I am going to have to really focus on nailing down my choices by the weekend, as we will be going great guns next week to wrap this thing up before the start of school.

Let the race begin.

$$$ My Money Pit $$$

So as I mentioned earlier I am in the middle of an extensive renovation with 3rd floor and basement additions.  Here's a pic of the house.

Interior photos

I'm working on the garage now.  It was a fairly big project, getting the utilities over there from the main house. We had to dig up the backyard.  We had to dig a seperate trench for water - 5' deep, sewer - 4' deep (apparantly a sewer line can freeze, news to me), gas 2' deep, and electric 18" deep.  They all need specific spacing as well, but the biggest concern is making sure that your water and sewer are 10' apart.  Of course, if your as crazy as I am, and attempt to undertake a project like this you'll find all this out anyhow, because you'll more than likely be required to get an engineering plan.  The big lesson learned from this project is DO NOT attempt to dig the trenches by hand.  We started out digging and realized that it was a foolishly exhausting waste of time.  About half way through I rented a trench digger.  It is about 2' wide and we used that for the remainder of the digging.  There are some places that it won't reach and the one that I had would only go to 4' so we had to do the last foot ourselves.

Now that the utilities are done and signed off (phew).  I have to get the insulation signed off and and close up!  I'll post interior pics of the guest house tomorrow.  I have so many finish decisions to make now; flooring, paint colors, tile, cabinetry.  

I have already purchased this toilet space saver and a vanity and mirror to match.  I really like the dark wood.  I need to figure out the color for the bathroom walls.

This is an excellent example of what I am leaning toward for the bathroom floor tile.  

I have to hurry up and make some decisions time is ticking.....

Me and the Fam

I am 35 years old. I am a bi-racial female.  My mom is white (French, German, Irish) mix and my dad is Bajan (Barbados).  I have 5 kids. I adopted 4 kids when I was a single parent at age 24/25 when they were infants and they are now 10,9,9,9.  My 3 boys were born and adopted from Guatemala (I'll tell more about my Guatemalan adoption story later) and my daughter was born here in the States. I have a set of twins and my daughter is 3 months younger than the twins.  My belly baby is 13 months old. I got married 3 years ago, hence the age gap.

We live in Brookline, Massachusetts. I have lived all over Boston and grew up in a few rough neighborhoods including projects at one time.  My mom is originally from Southie. She grew up during busing when racial tension was high.  She actually tried to pass me off as a white baby when I was first born with my green eyes to avoid being called a "nigger lover".

Besides motherhood, which really is a full-time job into itself.  I have been a real estate developer since I bought my first property at 22.  I have done many condo conversion buildings, rental properties and a I did a pretty large HUD foreclosure deal a few years ago.  I now own and manage a bunch of rental units in Pittsburgh, Pa.  You can pick property up in some parts of this country, like Pittsburgh, fairly cheap and profit from the rental.

Throughout my 13 years in real estate I have learned many things about renovating, flipping and landlording.  I was a single-parent of 4 young kids throughout most of my time.   But, my biggest accomplishment was simply surviving the market crumble, completely unscathed.  

What's Going On Now?

I am in the middle of a pretty huge (by some people's standards) renovation. Yes! girls can renovate....and Yes! black girls who grew up "around the way" can renovate....and.....guess what else folks? We can do it successfully...and...with kids!  Imagine that....  This isn't news to everyone, but I catch a lot of crap and aggravation at times just because of who I am and what I do.


Well, ok, I'm not full black, I'm half black and half white.  Although as we all know by America's standard black is black, so although I am sticking with bi-racial, as that is MY reality, black, white, mixed, call it what you want.
 Anyhow, I sold my condo 2 doors away and bought this gut rehab project.   We needed more space.  The condo was fine with the 4 kids and I, but with a new husband and a new baby, we were bursting out of the that thing.  So, this place has 2 units that I am combing and also going through the ZBA to get a "special permit" to add a third floor.  I am also renovating the basement into a rental unit and the garage into a really fabulous playroom that actually looks more like a guest house.

Where am I living with the kids while all of this takes place you ask? My mom is aways good for a brilliant idea.  This time it was the rv.  Yes, we are in a 1984 rv.  Fleetwood, to be exact. Me, the 5 kids, hubby, and my cat, "Sassy".  We have another cat "Harley", but he is an outsider- roams the neighborhood all day and comes home for food. The rv was actually supposed to be temporary housing, VERY temporary, like 4 weeks or so tops, but of course, much to my dismay this construction project has held true to the old rule of the thumb, more time and more money.....honey.

The initial plan was to get the 2nd floor of the new house done, and frame the roof.  I figured that I could probably get this done at the speed of light and get in there. Then I could focus on getting the rest done around us once we're in.  But of course one hold up after the next (I won't get into the boring details) and here we are 4 months later still in the damn rv. Plus, I have to get through Zoning for the new roof, which in turn holds up the entire job.  You can't get anything done without a good roof over your head.

Yes.  The rv sucks.  Bad.  We have hot water, bathroom and such, but it doesn't make up for the space constraint.  Thank goodness it's summer and the kids can go out and play.  I wouldn't have done this in winter anyhow.  It just wouldn't be feasible.  We cook all of our meats on the grill outside and the starches and veggies in the microwave.  Truth be told, I really feel guilty about complaining about the rv too much as I know that there are many families who are permanently in a situation like this.  Although the bottom line right now is that I'm used to a different much more comfortable way of life.  I will have a new appreciation for having a nice home again....once I get in there.  But first, the guest house.

The new plan (as the old one has gone to crap) is to get the guest house done.  Stay in there while I get the 2nd floor roughed (framing, plumbing. and electric in place). Then once I get through the ZBA (hopefully successfully), frame out the new roof and finish up the downstairs and get in.  My zoning hearing is at the end of October.  I had to go to the ZBA because I was short about 3 feet of land on each side of my lot.  I was a pretty bummed that I had to go through Zoning because I thought that I would be able to add the 3rd floor by right. It's the wasted time that kills me more than anything.  But, what can you do? Nothing. You just have to go with the flow and hope for the best.

Today was a pretty good day.  We are almost done insulating and I am hoping to get the inspector in to check the insulation in the guest house hopefully by Tuesday. We'll see.  If all goes well we can close up by Wednesday or so. Fingers crossed.