7 Tips for Flipping Properties in Today's Market

When it comes to real estate investing, many people are making money right now by flipping properties. Sure, today’s market is not the greatest at this point in time, but despite of home prices that are falling and the housing boom that is now over in some areas, this is a prime time for flipping properties. Of course if you plan on getting involved in flipping properties there are many things that you are going to have to take into consideration. While it may sound quite simple, there is quite a bit to learn if you are going to try to be successful at flipping properties, so the following are several tips that will help you with flipping properties in today’s market.



Tip #1 – Understanding the Concept of Flipping Vs. Speculating – First of all, if you want to start getting involved in flipping properties, it is important that you understand the difference between flipping and speculating. Speculators are essentially real estate amateurs who are usually not consistently successful. They count on theory that there is always a “bigger fool”; someone who will come along and purchase the property for more than what they paid for it. Flipping involves a totally different approach.



People who flip properties are more conservative and they are more likely to be successful, no matter what the market looks like.



Tip #2 – Getting started – Now you need to know how to get started flipping properties. Basically flipping properties involves getting the property for a low price and then within a short period of time, selling the property for a price that is much higher. Property flipping is a great investment; however, it is important that you make careful plans. If you are new to flipping, you will probably want to work with a seasoned real estate agent, who can help you understand more about the current market trends and conditions.



Having a good agent on your side can help you locate a great property and they can also help you figure out what it would cost to fix up the home so you can get the best amount of profit whether doing the work yourself or flipping it to another investor who will fix it up for profit. You have to make sure there is enough room in the deal for a profit once the entire repair costs & other holding costs such as mortgage, insurance, and taxes are figured in. Even if you reselling the property to another investor who will then fix it up, the investor will only be interested in buying if there is a margin for profit on their end.



Tip #3 – Advance Planning – Of course advance planning is very important when it comes to flipping properties in today’s market. You’ll want to make sure that you know what you are actually getting into. Plan ahead as to what types of properties you want to flip, who you want to renovate them, and other important details. Also, before you get the property, make sure that you have it inspected. Not having the property inspected could lead to heavy losses, so be sure that you have an experienced inspector look the property over carefully.



Tip #4 – Finding a Flip – Finding a flip is the hard part. When it comes to flipping properties and there are a variety of key phrases that buyers look for when they are looking for the right properties. Some of the phrases hat they look for include listings that have phrases like “needs work,” “must sell,” “motivated seller,” and “vacant.” Many flippers take a close look at properties that are being foreclosed on as well. Usually banks are trying to get what they can for these properties, so flippers can get them for a good deal.



Tip #5 – Getting a Loan – Getting a loan is important as well when you are involved in flipping properties. However, when it comes to getting a loan, there are many mortgage companies that are a bit leery of giving out loans on a flip because of various scams that have been used in the past. When you try to get a loan on a flip, you will need to check into the requirements. Some companies may make you wait 3-6 months before selling the property; however, in some cases you may be able to sell a flip sooner if you can prove that your property has increased in value.



There are also private lenders that are willing to give loans on flip properties as well; however, they may charge higher interest rates.



Tip #6 – Fixing up a Flip – Once you have acquired a flip property you are then going to have to work on fixing it up. You will need to take a look at the property and then figure out the level of upgrading that the property you have chose warrants. It is not prudent to put in upgrades that will only be a wasted investment. Be sure to do the best job possible; however, remember that there are some improvements that will not increase the value of your property.



Be sure that you make the improvements that are needed to bring the property you have up to the same condition of the other properties in the area so you will have no problems selling it. A good realtor can give you great advise on the type of work to do and the type of work not to do to get the most profit out of each property.



Tip #7 – Selling a Flip – When you are selling a flip it may be tempting to do it on your own; however, in most housing markets it is best to have a professional real estate agent help you sell the property.



You will need to know the current market that you are dealing with and you will also need to be sure that your property is priced right. Setting the wrong price in the beginning can really hurt you, even if you lower the price later, so be sure that you get the price right the first time. Also, a real estate agent can give your property the exposure it needs to sell quickly, saving you a bundle on holding costs.



Flipping properties is a great way to make money; however, it takes some work and knowledge.



It will take hard work and planning to build up your wealth, but if you are willing to do the work needed, you can definitely be successful in this field of real estate investing.