Estimate Rehab costs (take pictures) - get bid from my GC3.  

In tough markets, flippers are competitively bidding properties up to where you have to buy it at 85% of ARV.So, either with parents' help in the next 4 years, or on your own at 18+ years old, get motivated, get educated to know a good deal, and take advantage of nice profit potential in REI.I've been pointing new investors to consider the BRRRR method of fix/hold rentals.

I bid on them but we were unsuccessful. 

Get an agent to run comps, run your own comps, get your own bids for rehab, etc.  

You can negotiate better pricing in Home Depot by going to the bid room.

And just a quick update, I received the bid from my contractor so I'll post the scope of work with costs this evening or tomorrow morning.

I would like to start flipping so I'm saving to get licensed and insured this way I can bid on bigger jobs.

I'm thinking about bidding on an on line foreclosure website called Hubzu.

I have not even reached a point where i can put an offer on something and gotten out bid ( am am expecting that will happen often and am prepared for that). 

You never know, I've seen bids that I won 3x my bid, and I made 40% of the contract amount.