So you want to make money in Real Estate

Sometimes I get calls from people wanting to buy a house cheap, fix it up and then put it back on the market for a big profit. This is often called flipping.  My guess is that they have been watching HGTV and believe it is easy money. While it is true that you can make money flipping a house, you need to make sure you have all the facts up front before investing your money.

If you are going to buy and sell houses in this manner for profit, you need to consider the following.

1. Make sure you have enough capital to see the profit through. If you are getting a loan for the property, do you have the renovation money in cash? Or will you be paying cash for the purchase and the renovations.
2. Work with a trusted and knowledgeable Realtor who will give you an accurate value of the property when it is repaired at the time of purchase. I like to give my investors a range and it is usually on the low side. Nobody is upset when they make more money is my thoughts. And use that Realtor to resell the property.
3. Utilize reputable contractors and get permits for the work performed.
4. Time is money so you need to get the house back on the market as soon as possible, but understand the rules of lending.  Certain loans that the new buyer may obtain can require that the seller (you) hold the property for 90 days minimum.  In addition, check to see if the neighborhood sells quickly or not. The days on market will affect your profit.
5. If the seller (you) purchased the property and are selling it for twice the value—this is not hard to do, because they do not take into consideration the money spent on the property to bring it back up to condition—a second appraisal may be required. This is a seller’s expense.
6.  Beauty sells but the mechanics of the house are important. The buyer will most likely get a home inspection. Generally the buyer is going to want the house to have the repairs made that the home inspector finds. Make sure you address the issues an inspector may want repaired.

When I work with investors who want to flip a house, we always ask how much will the house sell for when it is finished, deduct the cost to sell the property—relator fees, closing costs, etc, deduct holding costs. Next what do we think it will cost to repair; deduct that from the sales price and the difference from the purchase price is the profit. You will need to determine if your time is worth that amount of money or not. If it is then you have a good candidate for a flip.

I am an investor and have worked with several investors over the years. I feel the knowledge I bring to the transaction has value and gets the properties sold fast. If you are looking to buy and sell, please feel free to contact me at 405-213-2992 or visit my website http://www.sandiwalker.net

Rebuilding in Moore

The May 20^th tornado left a lot of devastation in our town. Many people were displaced, property was damaged and lives lost. My family was very fortunate that day. We were in Moore attending a funeral when the police came into the chapel and told us to take cover. We heard the sirens and waited for the storm to pass. My son was attending a Moore public school that day and so I was worried.  Fortunately for us it missed us by ½ a mile.  All of my friends were not so fortune.

While the rest of that day’s events are probably good material for another blog, I want to fast forward 4 months later to today. A majority of the debris has been removed. There are still some dilapidated homes around town, don’t get me wrong.  As well as other buildings that are still damaged., The slabs have been removed on the vacant lots in Moore. Builders have been and are buying lots. Homes are being built and are in various stages. In addition, other homes that were not completely destroyed are being rebuilt.

Many of the homes going up off 4^th and Telephone appear to be larger than the homes that previously stood there. This should help to bring the value of the homes in the south part of the neighborhood up in value also. The same appears to be true in the Plaza towers neighborhood. I am excited to see the rebuilding in the neighborhoods.

The city is alive and open ready for business. School is back in session and the two schools that were destroyed are taking up residence in a community church and a jr. high. It is amazing at the amount of work that has been done in the past 4 months. But I guess that is simply the Oklahoma spirit and the reason I love living here. People rolling up their sleeves and helping their neighbors. Moore will rebuild.

Sometimes I get asked what makes people want to rebuild in an area that has been hit time and again by tornados. Why do we keep rebuilding in the same area? I guess it is because this is our community. Our family and friends are here. And while we may be able to move away from tornados, there would be something else—fire, flood, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. But when there is a problem, this community comes together and helps their neighbors unlike any place else I have ever lived.

This is a great city. If you are looking to relocate here or need real estate questions answered please feel free to contact me at 405-213-2992 or visit my website http://www.sandiwalker.net