House Flipping: Wonder, Woe & Warnings By Jamie Mathwig Oct 20, 2011 House flipping is everywhere: countless TV shows are devoted to it and entire communities on the web have sprung up around it. A quick Google search for "house flipping" reveals about half a million results. It seems as though everyone and their uncle is buying cheap fixer-uppers, renovating them, and selling them for a tidy profit, but we hardly ever hear about the disastrous outcomes of house flipping. Here is some background information and warnings to give you the real scoop on this rewarding and risky real estate investment technique. Flipping has been around for a long time but has only garnered the attention of the public at large in the last ten years or so. Popular home design shows have contributed greatly to the notoriety of this practice as have, perhaps to a lesser extent, the job losses many Americans have faced in recent years. Post-recession is a great time for house-flippers who still have capital to invest because many prices are so low. Buying a cheap house which only needs cosmetic improvements in a fairly good neighborhood is a fun, lucrative and gratifying investment. …show more content…
Great curb appeal means greater value for that property when it's sold, which, in turn, increases the value of nearby real estate. It might even encourage other residents in the area to renovate their own homes and, let's face it, that's a nice perk for other homeowners who are tired of looking at ugly