Hey everybody, great site, question about flipping

Hey everybody, great site, question about flipping

Member since 2008 · 3 posts · 0 votes

Hi there, I'm glad I've decided to make a go of it in REI. For years I searched for the big deal - an Internet startup. Truth is, that may never happen. In reality I don't want to work 18 hours a day, 7 days a week as a programmer; sure the payoffs can be huge, but I value my time as well. I'm 24 now. I know REI can be a full time job, especially at the strart. If you think of most of the wealthy people, at least in my country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, most of them are landowners or landlords. The ones living the best quality of life are making it off investments, like real estate or equitites, not going from tech. startup to tech startup.

So I've read the best way to get started to build up some capital is to flip or wholesale properties. I'm starting off with the equivalent of $50K, but this would only get me a mortgage of about $400K. As has been said, renting is one of the more difficult ways to get started. So, in order to build my cash base with the view to owning future rentals, developing and rehabbing large commercial properties, I'll do that.

One question: You place a property under contract with the seller, with the right to assign to someone else. And you have a proviso that if you can't find a buyer within 30 days the contract is annulled. Now pardon me for my nievete, but are people generally happy to sign their home over to you with no guarantee that you'll buy it (especially if they're a motivated seller?) Don't they want a GUARANTEE that it'll be gone, not just if you can move it? Effectively I would be acting as a realtor with a sole right to their property. There doesn't seem to be much in it for the owner. Somebody please explain this to me.

I look forward to contributing to the site as I go forward in this game.

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  • Member since 2008 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    19y

    Become a man? That's a bit strong isn't it?

    Honestly I thought flipping was recommended for newbies as it allows you to build up a cash pile and at the same time learn a number of things with no money at risk.

    You ask me if it's a good deal, why don't I buy it? Well I assume you have to guage the situation and if for example the selling price is 50% ARV you might want to buy straight away to secure it. But then, the contract with the assigns to in it should be enforcable. Clearly you want to reduce your own money at stake, so that's why I would try not to buy it. Also, I have very limited money to invest, I don't want it tied up in case it takes months to shift. Remember, I will probably make some mistakes and I agreed with the idea when I read it that it's best to do it when no money is at stake.

    You asked why not charge the investors a finders fee? I think I would be targetting rehabbers, and I'd have to make sure there's enough in it for them, say 15% profit. If I get the property under contract I can charge more than just a birddog, right?

    You suggest I shiould not transfer risk to others but take it on myself. I just plain disagree with this.

    Can I ask, how do you make money in RE? What I am looking to do is get to the stage as quickly as possible that I can quit and do this full time. With 50K and my credit rating it's going to take a number of deals before I get there, hence why I thought generating income this way was the way to go instead.

  • Wholesaler · Amarillo, TX · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 659 votes
    19y

    You know we had a pretty good conversation about the whole realtor/wholesaler thing before, but I can't seem to find it. Too many posts are blurring together in my brain, and after looking through half of mine I still can't find it. :crazed:

    Contingencies in a contract are good for newer and for experienced investors. They can protect you when things don't work out like you thought. As a new wholesaler I would recommend that in every contract you write that you have a contigency in there or a proviso as you put it (bloody brits :D ). My dad lives in Australia, and it seems like all their nicknames for things have a vowel on the end. Sounds cool when you say it, but I like making fun.

    Anyways, I would also recommend developing your financing capabilities so that you can with good faith tell the seller that you are buying their house. The idea is that you are not putting their house "under contract", you are BUYING their house, but with a contingency. Contingencies are a major factor of ALL contracts. I will do this as long as this, this, and that are done. A contingency for one thing or another is extremely common in contracts. Actually I would say its a rare contract in which there aren't contingencies. It is there to protect your interests whether your intentions are to flip it or buy it yourself.

    Minimizing risk and maximizing your return is paramount in any business, especially real estate. Contingencies are one very powerful way to minimize your risk. I would say that you definitely don't want to leave a trail of dead bodies behind you, but on the flip side you don't want to be one of the dead bodies left behind the seller's wake either. Contingencies are a tool. I would recommend using them to your advantage.

    Now, I've only put one house under contract with the intention of backing out if I could not sell it. I used a standard option period contingency, in which I paid $1 for the right to back out for any reason for the alloted time period. I actually don't prefer this style of wholesaling, but the circumstances dictated it and contracts allow it. Either way I would recommend that one of a wholesalers initial goals be to develop your financial situation to the point that you are not relying on contingencies. Learn what a good deal is and develop the potential to act on it financially if need be.

  • Residential Real Estate Agent · OH · Member since 2008 · 553 posts · 24 votes
    19y

    I am not sure about the legalities in England about land and real property. The one thing I do know is that in England Estate Agents do not have a test and are not even registered. Overdriven what ever happened about Foxtrons removing other Estate Agents signs?

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