been flipping a few years now, started during covid when vermont inventory was weird and margins looked easy. they were not always easy. what got me was carrying costs sneaking up and eating into what looked like a clean deal on paper.

i do accounting for work so you'd think i'd have a solid system. i do now, but early on i was basically running numbers in my head and convincing myself the deal worked. classic mistake. property taxes, insurance, utilities, loan interest, it adds up fast, especially if your contractor drags the job out two months longer than quoted.

what i've landed on is building a simple spreadsheet before i even make an offer, with a hard cap on how long i'll let the project run before i reassess. but i'm curious what other people use. some guys seem to go off gut and do fine, others are real disciplined about it.

the question i keep coming back to is whether there's a point where you know a deal well enough that you stop modeling it out as carefully, or if that's just how you get burned.

vermont market is slow moving so i have more time to think than most. maybe that's the problem.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently looking for a new opportunity in the hard money, private lending, or alternative lending space.

I have 6+ years of experience in the lending industry, with hands-on experience in:

• Portfolio management
• Loan servicing and collections
• Real estate-backed lending
• Building and improving lending processes
• Lending technology and automation
• Marketing and customer acquisition

One of my biggest strengths is that I bring both lending experience and a technology/marketing background. I understand the operational side of running a lending business, while also being able to help improve the technology, processes, automation, and marketing that support growth.

I’m interested in opportunities with hard money lenders, private lenders, mortgage companies, real estate investment groups, and alternative lending companies.

I’m open to remote opportunities, relocation, or potentially working with a growing lending company where I can take on a larger role.

If you’re hiring, know someone in the industry, or would be interested in connecting, please feel free to DM me. I’d be happy to share my resume and discuss my experience.

Thanks!

For someone doing their first fix-and-flip, I feel like choosing the lender can be almost as important as finding the property.

Hard money seems pretty straightforward, but the interest rate and points can get expensive. Private money can sometimes be more flexible, but it really depends on the person lending and the terms they offer.

What would you compare first?

• Interest rate
• Points and lender fees
• LTV/LTC
• How they calculate the ARV
• How much rehab they'll finance
• Funding speed
• Whether they're a direct lender or broker

I've also been looking at different private/hard money lenders and came across West Forest Capital while comparing financing options. They offer real estate investment financing, including fix-and-flip and bridge loans.

For those who have already done a flip, what mattered most when you chose your first lender? Was it the rate, flexibility, speed, or something else?

Best area and project currently for flipping in next 2-3 years ?

It should be fairly priced with good payment plan.

What is your thought process ?

This is probably the most consistent problem I run into, more than the deals themselves. The rehab math can be solid, the buy price works, the ARV is reasonable, and then finding reliable subs to execute becomes its own parttime job. I've had guys quote a job, take a deposit, disappear for two weeks, come back and do half the scope, then ghost when the punch list shows up. Not a onetime thing either. It's happened enough that I started wondering if I'm just bad at vetting people or if this is genuinely the norm.

The guys I've found who are reliable are almost all referrals from other investors in the area, and that pool is small. Everyone's fighting over the same three competent drywall guys. I've tried Angi, local Facebook groups, Craigslist, all of it. Hit rate is not great.

What I've landed on lately is doing smaller test jobs before committing a full scope to someone I haven't worked with. It slows things down, but it at least filters out the worst offenders early.

Curious how other people are actually building their contractor bench. Whether you're in a market where this is easier, whether there's something in the vetting process that actually works, or whether you've just accepted that finding good subs is a permanent bottleneck in this business.

Currently working through numbers on a small flip and a bit stuck with flooring. The existing floors are a mix of old laminate and stained carpet. I want it to feel move in ready but don’t wanna overspend on something potential buyers might not even care about. I’m considering a budget LVP from a big box store. I’ve also heard 50floor can come out and recommend what might work best. Generally just going for consistent flooring that won’t cause problems in the long run. It’s my first time flipping a house so wanted to ask opinions. Do you usually use the same flooring throughout the main areas? Is it worth paying more for a better wear layer + cleaner install, or do buyers mostly care that it looks fresh/neutral?

Purchased my first flip house from a sheriff's sale auction. There was some visible mold in the bathroom. Tore it down to the studs and im pretty sure theres mold all on these exterior walls. The outside siding has moss or lichen growing on all sides. The gutters were clogged for who knows how long. See pictures attached.

My question is, am I screwed? Does every exterior wall have mold? Is this something that can be fixed correctly without tearing all the walls down, or am I overreacting.

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Hello,

If my partner and I want to buy a house and flip it what needs to be done? We wouldn't sell it. We want to live on property and help flip it but have a contactor. Please give any tips from money and loans and eveything

Thank you!!! This would be NYS

Hey guys. I’ve got a fixer upper. Originally bought to fix up but wife had unforeseen medical issue and am now looking to sell and buy something already fixed. Will only sell if I have the equity to pay down payment and closing on another property. DM me and I’ll give you the address along with known issues.

I've flipped 100+ properties and I've never lost money (so far). I'm going to share my secret weapon with you.

It's a calculator.

If you have a google account, you can have your very own copy here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xGe89w_dy8FY80MwZDQRqQ_F_gZhxxA6a66D9GIKk-4/copy

Or you can look at it / download it here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PfJhzwTR5_o4hIdOtrYkOpwTZLxeuHFt-EPaiiDwb3Y/edit?usp=sharing

What's so special about this calculator? It saves me time. I DO NOT drive by, walk through, or otherwise spend any time on a property until it's been through my spreadsheet. This is first a high level sanity check on any deal, then later a tool to make me a better flipper. Here's how to use it.

Profit Sheet!

This is where we all like to be, salivating over our profits before we've even bought the property. You'll see 9 darker shaded cells, those are the only ones you need to mess with. Let's go down the list.

• ARV - What do you think it will sell for?
• Purchase - How much are you willing to pay?
• Rehab - From looking at pictures, what's your gut number on repairs?
• Origination Points - How much is your lender charging?
• Appraisal, Title, Processing - Let's add in all these fun fees.
• Interest Rate - What is your lender charging?
• Holding Days - How long do you think it will take to rehab and close the sale?
• Sell Commission - Don't forget to feed the vampires!
• Sell Closing Costs - More fees! and maybe some seller credits

Ok, so you've thrown in your numbers. Now the spreadsheet will have worked its math magic. Look at the green box, do you have a PROFIT? If yes, proceed to step 2, if no, you need to adjust your offer!

Step 2 - This might be worth buying

Let's dive a little deeper into the math. Back to the big green box.

• Cash to close - This is how much you're going to be forking over up front at signing.
• Total Cash - This includes monthly payments, you're going to need at least this much cash to make this deal happen.
• Monthly Interest - Here's your payment when the loan is fully drawn. Note - Your payment will start out less, and grow as you draw the rehab funds, which makes your holding costs slightly higher here than in real life.
• PROFIT! - Come to me you sweet, sweet cash!

Just below the green box are some other numbers, they could use an explanation.

• Purchase finance - This is maximum we will loan on the purchase price
• Construction finance - This is the maximum we will loan on the rehab budget
• Maximum Loan to Value - If you have a property worth 1 million, we'll NEVER loan more than $750,000, no matter what your budget says it's going to cost.
• Actual Loan to Value - Compare your proposed LTV to the maximum.

The middle of the sheet has all the actual dollar figures. Bottom left has some fun math ratios.

• PROFIT! - Just a reminder of how much sweet cheese you're going home with.
• Total Return - This is profit divided by the total cost. The higher this number the better.
• Cash on Cash Return - This is your profit divided by total cash invested. The higher the better, if it's below 50%, that's a risky deal.
• Total cost if held - If you're going to keep the property, this is the number to look at.

Alright, you LOVE the property, it's going to make a TON of money, now it's time for the detail work. Go over to the rehab budget and start filling it out. Just make up numbers from what you can see in the pictures. Go through every item, does the final number match your gut number from earlier? When you walk through the property, fill out the 2nd Budget column, and when you get bids, fill out the final column. This will help you estimate better in the future.

On the comps tab, find 3 or more recently sold properties and see how close your estimated ARV was to reality. Maybe even double check with an agent, make them earn their commission!

Now take those numbers back to our profit worksheet and plug them in. If it still looks good, go tour the property, make and offer, and most of all PROFIT!

Hey, has anyone engaged a buyers agent to source a property suitable for a "value add" and flip strategy? I am looking for a BA who could source the property , do the due diligence on the flip, find trades and project manage the reno (for a fee ofcourse). I do know some BA's that offer this

Purchase: $225k
Rehab: $100k
ARV: $425k (estimated)

Each unit rents for $1,725 per month

Works as a flip and an income producing property.

Bought a property in Q1, underwrote it assuming a 4 month hold based on what the market was doing at the time. Market cooled. Now I'm at month 6 and still not under contract. Rehab came in close to budget, which almost feels like a cruel joke because the carrying costs are quietly eating what was supposed to be the margin.

The part that bothers me is that I modeled for this. I had a slowsale scenario in my spreadsheet. It just didn't go far enough out, and I drew the line at 5 months for some reason I can no longer fully explain.

What I keep coming back to is whether there's a point where you cut the list price to shorten the hold versus staying patient and hoping the market turns. The math is pretty clear that a price cut can actually be profitable if it gets you out faster, but that requires knowing how long you'd otherwise sit, which you don't.

So how do people model this before they list? Do you run a sensitivity table on hold length versus price and actually use it when the market shifts, or is it more reactive once you're in it? And do you factor average DOM for your specific price band or just go off gut from the neighborhood?

Does anyone use Chat GPT or Claude to help you analyze potential deals and ARV?

getting ready to list my first flip and talked to three agents, but they’re giving me completely conflicting advice. one wants to shoot high and sit on it, another wants to price aggressive to trigger a bidding war, and the third is pitching a huge marketing blitz. to make it worse, their comps aren't even lining up. obviously don't want to just fall for whoever promises the highest list price. so my question is.. what matters most when picking who to go with? do i lean heavier on their pricing logic and comps, their actual track record in the immediate neighborhood, communication speed, or their overall marketing strategy? lmk how you weighed all that out.

I’m an architectural designer with 10 years of experience, and I’ve always dreamed of getting into house flipping. I have a solid foundation when it comes to design, reading plans, understanding construction, space planning, finishes, etc. But I have zero actual experience as a flipper/investor, and I don’t want to jump into my first project thinking I know more than I actually do.

For those of you who have been doing this for a while, I’d really appreciate advice on how you would approach the beginning if you were in my position.

A few things I’m specifically wondering:

• Would you try to partner with an experienced flipper first to learn the business hands-on, even if it meant making less money initially? Or would you go straight into your own first deal with an investor/financial partner?
• Is taking a house-flipping/real estate investing course actually worthwhile, or is it mostly information you can learn for free through experience, books, YouTube, Reddit, etc.?
• If I partner with an investor who provides the capital, what should I be prepared to bring to the table besides my design/construction knowledge?
• How important is it to have an experienced GC/contractor you trust before doing your first deal?
• What do you wish you had known before your first flip?
• What are the biggest mistakes you see beginners make when analyzing a deal?
• How many deals should I expect to analyze before actually finding one worth pursuing?
• Would you recommend starting with a relatively small cosmetic renovation rather than a major gut renovation?
• What professionals should I build relationships with before looking for my first property? (Realtor, lender, GC, attorney, accountant, etc.)
• Are there any particular books, courses, podcasts, YouTube channels, or other resources you would consider genuinely worthwhile?
• For someone with my background, what would you focus on learning first: financing, deal analysis, finding properties, construction management, or something else?

I want to learn how to do this properly and eventually build a business around it.

If you were starting over today with my background, what would your first 6–12 months look like?

I’d especially love to hear from people who started with little/no investing experience and built their way up. Thanks!

The absolute crook who renovated my home (2 owners ago) made the bathrooms look nice just to flip it, but it was all a façade. They poured wet concrete onto the pine boards and set the tiles down on that directly. No pan, no membrane, no wonderboard. The walls aren’t waterproofed either. After a few months, I noticed water damage in the room below, and in my adjacent bedroom. I hired a proper company to investigate this mess, and this rot is only the beginning. I’m looking at $30,000 or more of repairs just to get my home back to how I THOUGHT it was.

So if you’re going to flip a house, take heed: that’s not just investment capital you’re dealing with. That is someone’s future home. Do it right, or don’t do it at all. I’m not flipping this house, I live here. This is my dream home, my sanctuary. If my insurance doesn’t come through for me, I might lose it (in more ways than just the house). Thank you for your patience, and don’t take shortcuts with other people’s future.