Seek Bargains

This is absolutely a necessary step when it comes to finding properties with excellent potential as flipped properties. Bargains are often sold at bargain prices for a reason. The good news is that many of these reasons are purely cosmetic and quite simple to fix. Finding a realtor that is willing to work with you for lower prices, bargain properties offer an excellent place to begin. If he or she is a knowledgeable professional you should have access to properties that would have been unavailable to you had you continued the search without the assistance of a professional.

Another great place to find bargains of this nature is to search through foreclosures, auctions, and homes that are preparing to enter into foreclosure. While not always the case, there are many in these situations that are willing to be a bit more flexible with the price. Never offer full asking price first. Start low and negotiate up. This may lose some properties but in the end it will be a much more profitable venture if you can get the properties you want for a smaller investment.

Know the Neighborhood

Before placing a bid on a potential property for flipping you need to learn as much about the neighborhood as possible. You do not want to place a family home in the middle of a retirement neighborhood, nor do you want to place a potential bachelor pad in that type of area. You also want to avoid areas that are entering a state of decline, as the rehab efforts are unlikely to achieve the profits you are hoping to receive. Instead, look for bargains in areas that are approaching some sort of renewal or have very low crime and excellent growth potential.

If you are rehabbing a home that is meant to appeal to families make sure the neighborhood is safe, has a relatively low crime rate, access to good schools, and entertainment opportunities that may appeal to families. These things will affect the price you are likely to be able to expect once the rehab efforts have been completed as well as the type of renovations you will need to perform on the property. Buying a property in an area that you know nothing about is like buying a property without an inspection-which brings me to my next point.

Get a Thorough Inspection

This is one of the most important steps in the process of selecting the perfect property for your real estate investment needs. A qualified inspection will prepare you for any problems that may arise during the course of your work on the home. These are things that will affect the amount of money you should offer on the home, the amount of money you will need to invest in repairs, and the amount of money you can expect once all is said and done.

Failing to have a complete and proper inspection can lead to disaster when the renovations begin costing extra money and time as efforts are undone in order to get to the root of the problems as you go. There are very few things that can save you the time or money that having a decent inspection can manage to save. Inspections can also make you aware of any structural problems, code problems, and other problems that may mean the difference between this property offering a possible profit or a probable loss. It is much better to be armed with this knowledge before ever making an offer on the property in question.

Realize That You do not Need to Buy the First Property You See

This is an important thing to remember. If the first property doesn’t speak to you, move on until you find one that does. This process is part science and part inspiration. If you are uninspired by a property it is unlikely that this property will suddenly take on a life of its own in order to suit your real estate investment needs. Keep searching until you find the property that meets all of your needs in order to find the perfect property for your first or your fiftieth flip.

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One of the rising stars when it comes to real estate investment is known as ‘flipping’ properties. This works by buying properties that are in need of either minor cosmetic repairs or in need of serious renovations, doing the work, and selling the home for a much greater price. In theory this brings in a significant amount of profit in a rather small amount of time. This is the case for many who attempt to flip properties but it takes a little more than the idea in order to make the process work. For this reason, there are many who end up sacrificing profit or losing money in the process when plans aren’t well conceived.

If you are considering a future in real estate investing, this is one of the quickest ways in which investors can turn a profit. It is also a method for bringing in high profit in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, this once closely guarded secret has gained some degree of infamy and there is fierce competition for the undervalued properties on the market as more and more would be investors decide to throw their hats into the collective ring.

If you are considering real estate investments in general and house flipping in particular there are some things you should keep in mind.

1) Treat this as a business rather than a hobby. Far too many investors do not take their investments seriously. This is a mistake because in this business time is money and every month that the house isn’t sold is a month that the house is costing you money. Create a plan, make a schedule, and stick to them both.
2) Remember that this is a business. You are not investing in properties to make friends or seem nice. You are in this business to turn a profit. You cannot be timid about making low offers. The ability to buy low and sell high is the lifeblood of this particular business. This means that you are quite likely going to hurt feelings and make people angry (because they often place emotional prices to their homes that are simply not economically feasible). If you cannot deal with this reality then you are going to have some degree of difficulty gaining the high profits you are seeking. Nice guys finish last and you can’t really afford to do that in this line of work.
3) Pay attention to the market. This is vitally important. Many ‘flippers’ lost their shirts in the recent near collapse of the housing market around the U. S. The truth of the matter is that the indicators have been building for years. In cities where there was once a shortage of viable housing options there are currently surpluses. This does not drive the value of properties down so much as it brings them back to their proper values. Investors that were counting on an ability to sell above the actual value of the property were left holding the bag (or rather notes) on these properties for quite some time until they could be sold. Some never managed to sell these properties and were left dealing with the expense in addition to the costs of the upgrades. Do not buy in an inflated market if it can be avoided unless it is during the very beginning of the inflation (before property developers have the opportunity to create a surplus).
4) Do not allow it to become personal. Far too many first time house flippers decide to create a work of art rather than a business investment. It is tempting when making cosmetic and structural repairs to go ahead and create a dream home. The problem with this is that depending on the particular market you are unlikely to recoup the costs involved in doing so. The goal is to invest little and profit large. Granite countertops are lovely but not at all necessary in a neighborhood filled with those of humble means. Cater to the tastes and budgets of your target market rather than your personal tastes.

Despite the risks involved in flipping houses as a real estate investment there is no denying that fortunes have been made doing just that. Even in the current housing market there is a great deal of promise available to those who can do the work quickly and inexpensively. People still want to buy these lovely homes rather than buying a home that needs to be made over after the price of purchasing.

Mistake # 3. Fear of making a huge financial mistake Comment: they all fear making mistakes, especially a large financial one. If you follow the advice in Number 2 above, you won’t have to worry about making a financial mistake.

Mistake # 4. Not looking at properties Comment: Don’t fall in love with the first property you look at. lots of investors buy properties because they “look nice” or they are to lazy to see what else is currently on the market that may be better. Part of sound real estate investing is in giving yourself a choice so you can select the best one, financially.

Mistake # 5. “A better deal may be around the corner” syndrome Comment: This is the opposite mistake of Number 4. This investor never starts his or her real estate investment program because they always hope a better deal may be out there somewhere if they wait…and wait…and wait.

Mistake # 6. Thinking that real estate investing is strictly a complicated game that only the wealthy can play. Comment: First of all real estate isn’t complicated if you learn how to do it first. Did you know that even professional investors use a simple nine step process to analyze the financial feasibility of an investment property?
Here’s a brief idea of the nine simple steps they use in analyzing any type or size investment property. A Basic Financial Property Analysis 1. Scheduled Gross Income (Income if 100% leased) 2. Less: Allowance for vacancies 3. Operating Income before expense & Mtg. Pmts. 4. Less Operating Expenses (Taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs and maintenance etc.) 5. Equals: Operating Income (Income before Mtg. Pmts.) 6. Minus: Mortgage Payments 7. Equals money Flow 8. Plus: Mortgage Principle Payment 9. Total Return there is a lot more to it than that, but you read the basic nine step procedure most professional investors use when analyzing any income producing investment property.

Mistake # 7. Falling in love with a property Comment: two times you get your feet wet and become a real estate investor, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to begin. Now you’ll face another problem. lots of investors fall in love with their property. they’ve seen how well it is doing, money flow has been going up each year, and they’ve fallen in love with their tenants (not literally). two big mistakes are made here. First, never fool yourself into thinking your property is doing well to sell or trade up because your money flow is considerably higher than when you purchased the property.

The second part of mistake number 7 is getting so friendly with your tenants that you fail to maintain rental standards based on what the market will bear. This greatly hinders your growth potential.

Mistake # 8. Failure to plan your financial goals Comment: Before you purchase that first property, which, of course, you financially analyzed, determine what you expect from your investments…your financial goals. it is known as “The ‘time vs. money’” concept. The more you have of one the less you need of the other in order to reach your financial goals.

Mistake # 9. Trying to purchase properties that the seller isn’t motivated to sell Comment: i have seen potential buyers continually try to purchase investment properties that are not on the market. This includes property owners with the attitude that “Sure, it is for sale… for a price”. Unfortunately the ‘for a price’ part usually means it will make no financial sense for a buyer.

Mistake # 10. Believing you can get rich rapid overnight with no money invested of your own. Comment:. Getting rich overnight won’t happen . . . (regardless of what a number of the so called “experts” tell you). It takes some time, effort and knowledge of real estate investing to do it with maximum financial risk. The important thing to remember is that YOU can do it, . You can join the millions of investors who generate sizable incomes by investing in real estate.

Mistake # 11. No money down investing usually isn’t. Comment: Somewhere, somehow there will be some money required to put a transaction together and make it profitable. It may be closing costs, repairs or upgrading, whatever. But somewhere, some money will be needed. there’s ways around this problem without getting into a high risk situation. You may be able to finance every dollar you need, but it can come back to haunt you in the form of mortgage payments you can’t afford to make. Again, learn what you are doing first.

Mistake # 12. Not financially analyzing a potential investment property. Comment: This is the most serious mistake an investor, or potential investor, can make. i have seen a few pros in the business rely on a “worthless and inaccurate” rule of thumb to make a huge financial decision to purchase, with total disregard for how well the property will perform.

Oh, yes, there is one more major mistake lots of investor make:

Mistake # 13. Thinking it is important to pay off your mortgage as soon as you can because mortgages are a ‘necessary evil’.

Comment: First of all as a real estate investor, mortgages are nice and not a necessary evil. You must learn why this is true. You must learn how, in the right situation, a second or third mortgage can be a nice thing. Second: mortgages are one of the keys to generating wealth in real estate. You must learn how to use financing as one of the keys to generating your own financial estate, without concern for it being “risky”.