flip rehabs/returns - how do i compete?

[Ronald Ty]

i am having trouble competing with other flippers. i try to do things the right way (pull permits) & use contractors/hvac/plumbing/electricians who, i feel, give me the best bang for the buck. and we all know the cost of things, and labor, have risen dramatically lately.

i pay cash for my homes and hit the sales price i anticipated beforehand.  

the problem i am having is getting my rehab numbers in line. i feel other investors are doing rentals or doing some/all the work themselves and/or not pulling permits. 

i should also mention, i do not need to flip. i can live off the returns i get in my bond/stock portfolio (w/ a lot less taxes paid). however, i like to flip 1x/year to keep me from getting bored and get that satisfaction from "working" (i retired 4 years ago). 

and no, i am not interested in doing rentals. :)

[Ronald Ty]

Quote from @Carlos Ptriawan:

Quote from @Ronald Ty:

I guess where I screwed up are my numbers. Thought 90k rehab and it is looking like 110k. It was a wholesale deal so I missed some stuff and I haven't done a rehab in a few years so prices went up. 

hvac 6500, wood floors 6k, drywall 5k. Electric 4500, permits 1200, power wash siding 500, cabinets 8500, appliances 3700, quartz 5800, insulate 450, tile 6k, demo/dumpsters 6k, mold/vapor barrier crawlspace 2k, doors%closets 3k, subfloor repair 1800, plumbing/fixtures 14k, exterior window/door/fascia replacement 2k, knobs/shelves 3k, replace 1 car garage door and motor 2k, staging/marketing/stamps 500, framing/remove wall/LVL beam/architect 6300, trim/crown/casing 2k, reseal driveway 600, mudjack 1500, paint interior/exterior 7k, maid, etc 1k, demo concrete side patio and seed with dumpster 1700, landscape 1k, replace 8 windows and sliding patio, shower glass door 5500

total rehab 107k

 I guess the most important aspect of house to be flip is what's your purchase price and what's your comps ?
Is this 2/1 configuration or 3/2 ? 

If it's 2/1 900 sqft, for example, I would rather sleeping than flip such house LOL, but you make money when you purchase rather than the rehab itself.

It's a 3/2 1600 Sq foot ranch on a 3 foot crawlspace with an attached 1 car garage. Of course, I know you make your $ when you buy. I did several reconfigures (take out a wall, move laundry from kitchen to a bedroom closet, move shower and expand it). Thinking I will still make $ (5% appreciation in this town since 2022) so that's a good thing.