Real Estate Tips |6 min read

How to Find Homes to Flip: Pros and Cons of Home Flipping

Several real estate investing strategies can lead to passive income and a portfolio of successful investments. One popular approach is flipping homes and selling or renting them for profit. However, if you want to explore this method, you’ll want to know how to find homes to flip and how to add value to your investment properties. Read along as we go over all you need to know about finding homes to flip and the pros and cons of fix-and-flip homes.

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Contents of This Article: 

What Is Home Flipping?

Whether you’re in the real estate industry or not, you probably know what a fixer-upper is. But, if you’re unfamiliar with fix-and-flip real estate, it’s the process of purchasing old properties that need repairs or renovations at a lower price, fixing them up, and selling or renting them for profit. 

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There are several steps to flipping homes. For instance, you must find potential properties, network with industry professionals, and look for real estate loans in Maryland. Also, depending on your financing method, you must review your lender’s requirements and expectations. However, the first step is learning how to find homes to flip. Read along as we review some tips and strategies for fix-and-flip investments. 

Pros and Cons of Fix-and-Flip Homes

Almost any investment method has pros and cons, and fix-and-flip strategies are no different. There are several things to consider with finding potential properties, hiring contractors, and trying to profit from your investment. As such, here are some pros and cons of fix-and-flip real estate

Benefits of Fix-and-Flip Properties

  • Quick Profits- When you fix and flip a property, you can see profits within a few months of completion. Some other types of real estate investments take years to become profitable.
  • Less Competition- There’s significantly less competition for fix-and-flip investments depending on where you’re investing. However, move-in ready homes generally have more competition and higher prices. pros-and-cons-of-flipping-homes
  • Highly Rewarding- Flipping homes is a challenging process. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to your investment. Once complete, looking back at the work you did can feel extremely rewarding.

Disadvantages of Fix-and-Flip Properties

  • Easy to Go Over Budget- If you’re unfamiliar with the home flipping process, you may underestimate how much it’ll cost. Flipping homes is costly, making it easy to go over budget.
  • Time-Consuming- Flipping homes is a time-consuming process. Unlike most home-flipping TV shows showing the finished process in just a few weeks, renovating a property can take several months.
  • Takes a Lot of Money- Flipping properties is not a cheap investment by any means. After all, buying the property is just the first step. Next, you’ll want to invest in contractors and other industry professionals to help bring your investment plans to life.

How to Find Homes to Flip

It can seem daunting and expensive if you’re unsure of how to find homes to flip. However, if you know what lies ahead and prepare accordingly, you can successfully complete a fix-and-flip project with little roadblocks. Here’s how to find homes to flip and what to expect throughout the process. 

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  1. Create a Network of Professionals
  2. Develop a Realistic Budget
  3. Research the Current Market
  4. Look for Foreclosure Auctions
  5. Find Financing for Your Property
  6. Hire Contractors and Start Renovations
  7. Sell or Rent the Property

Create a Network of Professionals

If you’re new to investing in fix-and-flip real estate, you may want to do some networking before diving into it. After all, you’ll need an agent to help find homes, contractors to help renovate the house, and a team to help you market the home once it’s fixed. Additionally, for some projects, like plumbing and electrical work, you’ll need experts to complete the jobs. A good first step before investing in any type of real estate is creating a network of industry professionals

Develop a Realistic Budget

Once you’ve determined what you need and whom to hire for your fix-and-flip project, you can create a realistic budget. One of the major mistakes of new home flippers is improper budgeting. After all, you need to account for the price of the home, closing costs, repairs, and other fees. Additionally, you’ll need to save some for emergency expenses. Anything can happen with a fixer-upper, so it’s best to have some wiggle room in your budget. 

Research the Current Market

Before buying the first property you see, it’s essential to research the market. For instance, learn how many days homes spend on the market on average, how much they generally sell for, and the demand for fixer-uppers. Additionally, you’ll want to research how well it’ll do once it’s fixed up. If there’s no demand for renovated properties, selling your investment could take longer than anticipated. 

Look for Foreclosure Auctions

The best way to find a home to flip is by looking for foreclosures at auction. A foreclosed home is one that the bank seizes due to nonpayment or neglect. Foreclosed homes are generally cheaper than other comparable homes, which is why most people look to buy them. After all, the lender who seizes the property likely wants it gone quickly. That said, there are a few different ways to purchase a foreclosed home, whether it’s right from the lender or at an auction. 

Find Financing for Your Property

Once you’ve found a few potential properties to buy, you’ll want to think about financing.

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How will you purchase your fix-and-flip project? Many investors use hard money lenders in Baltimore to finance their fixer-uppers. On the other hand, you could go the conventional mortgage route, although it may delay the start of your project. Either way, you’ll need to become familiar with your hard money lender’s requirements or the process of getting a mortgage loan. Then, once you’ve covered all the paperwork and necessary steps, you can finance the property. 

Hire Contractors and Start Renovations

Once you’ve figured out financing and have the property in your possession, it’s time to start renovating. So, find your local contractors, plumbers, electricians, and anyone else you may need to perform work on the property. Before signing any contracts with these professionals, make sure you check their licenses and credentials. Additionally, ensure you’re all on the same page regarding how you want the property to turn out. 

Sell or Rent the Property

Once renovations and repairs are complete, you can proceed with your exit strategy. If you’re using a hard money loan, you’ll want to pay it off once you sell the property as soon as possible. However, if you plan on using it as a rental property, you’ll want to refinance with a different loan type. Then, you can start earning monthly income through rental payments.

Find a Lender for Your Next Investment

Once you’ve researched properly and understand how to find homes to flip, you can find a hard money lender and follow through with your purchase. Many investors use hard money loans for fix-and-flip projects since they’re quickly funded, allowing them to start renovating immediately. On the other hand, you could be stuck waiting weeks or months to get funding for a conventional mortgage loan. 

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If you want to work with a hard money lender for your next investment, look no further than Maryland Hard Money Lenders. Our dedicated lending professionals can help you find a reasonable loan for your fix-and-flip investment. So, contact us to learn more about our lending process, or fill out a loan application today!

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