Flipping - misrepresented in the news!

Flipping - misrepresented in the news!

Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2014 · 178 posts · 64 votes

I read this Philly.com article today about a 20 yr rehabber... (Philly.com is the website for our local Philly newspapers.)

http://www.philly.com/philly/classifieds/real_esta...

Anyone else find it troublesome that the article overlooks so many of his costs in computing the profits on the project profiled? They have stated his profits as: 

Profits = ARV - (Purchase Price + Construction Costs)

No mention at all of carrying costs, loan costs (he's using hard money!), closing costs, etc!!! I don't think it's a good thing for anyone when people enter the business with misinformation and unrealistic expectations based on what they see in the media. It's one thing when house flipping shows misrepresent all this, but this is a news article and is something people consider as a dependable source of accurate information!

If anyone else has the time and inclination, I'm sure the Philly.com and its readers would appreciate your comments and emails.

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  • Contractor · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 651 posts · 510 votes
    11y

    @Nancy L.   I read it; it's just a poor article all the way around.  You don't realize just how inaccurate and poorly written news articles generally are until you read ones that you have some particular expertise in. 

  • Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2014 · 178 posts · 64 votes
    11y

    @Account Closed Thanks for reading, I'm sure you're right! I'm actually sympathetic with the challenges of the traditional news media structure and their lack of time/resources for researching. Nonetheless, a 10 min internet search on the subject of flipping houses should have given her the background she needed, if not just asking the right questions of the person featured in the article... You'd figure they'd have someone with some kind of business sense writing such articles... Oh well! 

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