All Forum Posts by: Karma Abdula

Investment Info:

Single-family residence buy & hold investment in New Milford.

Purchase price: $140,000
Cash invested: $55,000
Sale price: $255,000

My business partner and I took on this Arlington property as a fix-and-hold investment. Purchased for $139,999 using a mix of cash and hard money, we revamped it with modern updates, including a new kitchen, flooring, and fresh paint.

The property rented for three years, generating steady cash flow of $450/month. In 2023, we sold it for $245,000, achieving a strong return and leveraging the experience to fuel future projects. Partnerships and smart financing made this deal a win!

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

My business partner and I found this deal through a wholesaler who flagged it as a solid investment opportunity in Arlington.

How did you finance this deal?

We financed the purchase using a combination of cash and a hard money loan. My business partner provided the upfront cash for the down payment, and we used hard money to cover the remainder and the rehab costs. This allowed us to close quickly and focus on adding value.

How did you add value to the deal?

The house needed significant updates, so we tackled the kitchen with new cabinets, countertops, and appliances. We installed fresh flooring throughout, updated the bathroom, and gave the entire property a fresh coat of paint inside and out. Additionally, we addressed plumbing and electrical issues to make the property fully rental-compliant. These updates made the property highly attractive to tenants.

What was the outcome?

The property was rented out from 2020 to 2023, generating consistent monthly cash flow of $450 after expenses. In early 2023, we decided to sell the property as the market had appreciated significantly. We sold it for $245,000, yielding a great return on our investment and allowing us to reinvest into other projects.

Lessons learned? Challenges?

Working with a business partner highlighted the importance of clear communication and shared goals. One challenge was coordinating rehab work within tight timelines to minimize holding costs, but we navigated it by hiring a reliable contractor. The project reaffirmed the value of leveraging partnerships and financing creatively.

Investment Info:

Single-family residence hard money loan investment.

Purchase price: $69,000
Cash invested: $35,000
Sale price: $120,000

Summer 2018, I flipped this 1925 Polytech bungalow. Purchased for $69,000, it needed a full rehab, including a new roof, plumbing, and modern updates inside and out. Despite surprises and challenges, I transformed it into a move-in-ready home and sold it for $145,000. This deal taught me to always budget for contingencies and reinforced the value of a great team!

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

Found this off-market deal through a local wholesaler specializing in distressed properties. They highlighted it as a prime opportunity in the Polytech area, though "hefty rehab" was putting it mildly. After a bit of back-and-forth on the repair costs, I negotiated it down to $69,000, convincing them the extent of repairs was higher than they initially estimated.

How did you finance this deal?

I used a hard money loan to finance the purchase and rehab costs, with a small amount of my own cash for contingencies. Hard money was the best option for this property, given the condition and timeline to close.

How did you add value to the deal?

This property was in rough shape, so I tackled the essentials: new roof, plumbing fixes, and updating the interior to make it livable again. The exterior got a fresh coat of paint, and I added modern fixtures inside to attract buyers. This turned a near-teardown into a cozy, move-in-ready home.

What was the outcome?

After a couple of months of hard work and more than a few unexpected surprises during rehab, I sold the property for $145,000. The profit made all the challenges worth it and reaffirmed my passion for flipping houses.

Lessons learned? Challenges?

Always overestimate your rehab costs. Lesson two: The Polytech area has a lot of potential but requires careful planning for the scope of work. The biggest challenge was addressing unforeseen structural issues, which ate into the budget.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

The hard money lender I worked with was instrumental in closing quickly, and I partnered with a fantastic general contractor who helped me stay on track despite the challenges.

Investment Info:

Single-family residence hard money loan investment.

Purchase price: $69,000
Cash invested: $35,000
Sale price: $120,000

Summer 2018, I took on this off-market fixer-upper in the Polytechnic area of Fort Worth. This 1925 bungalow was a true challenge, needing a complete rehab from top to bottom. Purchased for $69,000, I tackled everything from a new roof to interior updates, transforming it into a move-in-ready home.

After months of surprises (and a few headaches), I sold the property for $145,000. This deal taught me the importance of overestimating rehab costs and always having a solid team of professionals on

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

Found this off-market deal through a local wholesaler specializing in distressed properties. They highlighted it as a prime opportunity in the Polytech area, though "hefty rehab" was putting it mildly. After a bit of back-and-forth on the repair costs, I negotiated it down to $69,000, convincing them the extent of repairs was higher than they initially estimated.

How did you finance this deal?

I used a hard money loan to finance the purchase and rehab costs, with a small amount of my own cash for contingencies. Hard money was the best option for this property, given the condition and timeline to close.

How did you add value to the deal?

This property was in rough shape, so I tackled the essentials: new roof, plumbing fixes, and updating the interior to make it livable again. The exterior got a fresh coat of paint, and I added modern fixtures inside to attract buyers. This turned a near-teardown into a cozy, move-in-ready home.

What was the outcome?

After a couple of months of hard work and more than a few unexpected surprises during rehab, I sold the property for $145,000. The profit made all the challenges worth it and reaffirmed my passion for flipping houses.

Lessons learned? Challenges?

Always overestimate your rehab costs. Lesson two: The Polytech area has a lot of potential but requires careful planning for the scope of work. The biggest challenge was addressing unforeseen structural issues, which ate into the budget.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

The hard money lender I worked with was instrumental in closing quickly, and I partnered with a fantastic general contractor who helped me stay on track despite the challenges.

Investment Info:

Single-family residence fix & flip investment.

Purchase price: $145,000
Cash invested: $15,000
Sale price: $180,000

2017, I tackled my first fix-and-flip—a 2004 double-wide mobile home on over an acre that needed a complete transformation. From a leaky roof to a backyard jungle, it was a crash course in problem-solving and patience.

I bought it for $145,000, powered through the chaos with a hard money loan, and sold it for $180,000. It wasn’t the biggest spread, but the experience was priceless. This deal taught me the true meaning of “expect the unexpected” in real estate!

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

Found this gem through a wholesaler who swore it was “the deal of the century.” Turns out, the only thing historic about it was the amount of problems I inherited. Negotiating felt like a game of chess—except I was playing against a grandmaster, and my queen was missing. Still, I managed to lock it in for $145,000 by emphasizing how much TLC (and cash) it needed to bring it back to life.

How did you finance this deal?

Financing was a juggling act. I used a hard money loan for the bulk of it because, let’s be real, no bank was touching this place with a ten-foot pole. For the rest, I scraped together savings and maybe skipped a few Starbucks runs (okay, a lot). Let’s just say the hard money lender became my best frenemy for the duration of this project.

How did you add value to the deal?

Oh, where do I begin? The house looked like it hadn’t been loved since 2004 (its build year). I fixed a leaky roof, revamped the kitchen that time forgot, and transformed the backyard jungle into something a human could actually walk through. Every flip is like peeling back layers of an onion, but this one came with tears, sweat, and the occasional scream into the void. In the end, I added a ton of value by turning a headache into a dream home.

What was the outcome?

After months of blood, sweat, and bargaining with contractors who seemed to vanish into thin air, I finally flipped it for $180,000. The spread wasn’t as wide as I’d hoped, but the experience was priceless (and so were the life lessons, aka “what not to do next time”). This project was the definition of learning by doing, and now I’ve got the battle scars to prove it.

Lessons learned? Challenges?

Always have a contingency fund. Lesson two: Double whatever time frame your contractor gives you. Challenges? Let’s just say this house taught me the importance of staying calm when your plumber says, We’ve got a problem, and your electrician just stops answering calls... It was a crash course in perseverance, but it also solidified my passion for flipping houses.