Please dont call it "flipping."
Some real estate investors who practice the technique of buying property for immediate fixup and resale call it "flipping houses." I have never liked this term, for it strikes me as reference to a gimmick. It seems "flippant!" It sounds like crude tagging of a very noble undertaking. Fixing up cheap properties is raising values in America's housing! It is a profession of dignity. I think the makeover process deserves reverence for providing people with a better place to live.
Without proper maintenance, all housing deteriorates. You can find cheap houses everywhere in dire need of repair because of neglect and abuse. You can buy these depreciated houses inexpensively at a fair market discounted price because of their condition. You can often restore them to very near their original condition or even better with very little investment. And you can sell them at a fair value price that includes generous profits. The seller's marketplace for those who want and need good housing is always swelling.
You can often take a house that has "No Class" and transform it into "First Class" housing with only paint and carpeting.
And you can take your makeover another step forward with simple, eye-appealing extras to create a "Dream House," an "Ideal House," a "Doll House," and a "Model House." You will be very proud of your work with this kind of makeover, and the real estate investing process will give you tremendous personal satisfaction, in addition to a good income.
My end-result objective in creating an appealing makeover is to create a finished product that I myself would enjoy as a home. If I can be satisfied with the makeover, I know that buyers will find that same satisfaction. To me, the real estate investing profession is a grand endeavor that extends far beyond the financial rewards. I have owned numerous businesses over the past 50 years, but I know of no other business venture that generates more personal gratification and financial prosperity than real estate investing in makeovers.
Phil Speer, Ph.D., started his real estate investing career 25 years ago. Without the availability of credit and using only a $10 bill, he purchased $1 million in properties in his first year, and had accumulated $10 million in properties by his fourth year. http://www.CashinHouses.com/ He was featured in a Wall St.Journal editorial as most successful investor in the Nothing Down Real Estate Movement, and was honored with a Caribbean cruise as top investor of the year. In his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, he has been a businessman and Human Resources Consultant for 30 years. He is an author, speaker and seminar director.
To learn how to profit in real estate investing, even without cash or credit, read his report at http://www.Real-Estate-eBook.com/investing/flipping.html/ Subscription is free to his Fix-up Ezine. He and other contributing authors provide free articles and resources on real estate investing at his online "Academy of Advanced Real Estate Investing Techniques" at http://www.AAREIT.com/