Categories
Flipping

Best Exit Strategies for House Flippers

Even after you’ve created your fix-and-flip business plan and work schedule—unexpected events, changes, and delays can still happen. So, you need a good exit strategy to pull yourself out of the gutter and save what you can of your investment. 

For many, the flipping business is a lucrative real estate investment strategy to earn your profits more quickly. But, the reality is that there are many variables beyond your control that can drastically change your estimates. Even so, these obstacles shouldn’t automatically mean defeat. 

By having exit strategies ready, your fix-and-flip project will be prepared for any unexpected challenges that pop up. As Benjamin Franklin once said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

The 7 Best House Flipper Exit Strategies

Like with any business plan, an exit strategy is an essential part of your project. The main goal is to minimize losses and maximize profits—even when things don’t go according to plan. Use any of these 7 exit strategies below for a solid plan B.

Short-Term Exit Strategies

Sometimes you just don’t have enough time and you need to make decisions fast. In cases where time is an important consideration, here are some short-term real estate exit strategies to help you keep things going.

Lower Your Price

A good exit strategy is to lower your price. Of course, you don’t want to go too low or you’ll lose money on your investment. 

This is why many real estate investors use the 70% rule to be confident they’re buying a property that is reasonable to flip. This rule of thumb means you won’t pay any more than 70% of the After-Repair Value of the property minus the value of renovations. To get the ARV, simply add the property’s current value with the value of renovations.

For example, if a property has a value of $100,000 and needs $20,000 in repairs, then its ARV is $120,000. After, calculate 70% of ARV ($120,000 × .7 = $84,000) then subtract the value of renovations ($20,000). According to the 70% rule, you should pay around $64,000 for the property. Your expected profit will be the ARV minus the value from applying the 70% rule ($120,000 – $64,000 = $56,000)

This gives you enough wiggle room in your budget for unexpected costs and the potential to lower your price without eating too much into your profits. 

Now, the percentage you lower will also depend on the receptivity of the market. Sometimes dropping your price by just 5% can do the trick. But other times, you might have to go lower. Whatever the percentage necessary, lowering your price can save the sale and allow you to still make a profit.

Wholetailing

Wholetailing is uncommon, but another possible exit strategy. It’s similar to wholesaling, except you cover the repairs and renovations necessary to make the house livable. Think of it as a combination of fix-and-flip and wholesaling. 

Like in wholesaling, you first purchase a property’s contract. After that, you perform a fix-and-flip and cover all the necessary repairs and renovations, such as the property’s structure, appearance, electrical wiring, and plumbing. Once the property is in livable condition, it’s ready for a buyer.

Not sure if wholetailing is for you? Here’s a list of things that make a property eligible for the strategy:

  • The property has to be clean and clear of any infestations such as mold, termites, and so on.
  • Essentials such as plumbing and electrical wiring have to be functional.
  • The structure has no major issues and fixtures are in good condition—as in no broken stairs, holes in ceilings and walls, broken floors, etc.

In addition, you can put up wholetail properties on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). As a minor version of a fix-and-flip, flippers can consider wholetailing as another source of income. Diversifying your income options can help you generate an income in case your flipping strategy tanks.

Breakeven

Sometimes, the best exit strategy is the one that avoids any loss. In this case, you simply sell the property at the price you obtained it in order to minimize loss. It’s not ideal, but the silver lining is that breaking even will at least cover any debts, repairs, and renovations. 

Long-Term Exit Strategies

For those with fewer financial and time constraints, you can opt for long-term real estate exit strategies. These options are for those who aren’t in urgent need to replenish their finances.

So, another good exit strategy is to convert your fix-and-flip project into another real estate investing business. Tapping into another market and going for different types of deals can increase your chances of turning your investment around.

Hold Out

When the market runs dry, sometimes you’re left with no other options than to hold on to the property. In this exit strategy, investors can hold onto the property until a profitable offer comes along. This exit strategy goes against the nature of a house flipping business, but if you can afford to wait, a delayed sale may be worth it.

There are also a few notable ways the buy and hold strategy earns money:

  • Capital Gains. If you invest in the right market, the property value increases with time. Delays in the sale could also mean higher profits if the market heats up. 
  • Equity Gains. In contrast to capital gains, this refers to the amount of property that you actually own as opposed to the amount you have financed.

Rent Out Short-Term 

Whether it’s listing your property on Airbnb or specifically offering your own private short-term rentals, you can make roughly 2-3 times more renting your flip out short-term, compared to long-term. You’ll have to be prepared to manage your short-term rental and spend a lot of time dealing with guests, however, unless you’re going to work with a property management company. 

That being said, it’s also a great strategy if you just want to rent your flip out for a short period and then sell it later on (like when market conditions improve).

Rent Out Long Term

The business of property rentals has peaked in the past 50 years, with more and more renters looking for places to live. If your project is fixed up and ready to be lived in, then you can choose to rent it out as your exit strategy. 

By renting, you can generate income on the property and help your finances recover. If the rental continues for extended periods, it can also pay for itself and generate passive income in the future.

Offer Seller Financing

For buyers on a tight budget and flippers eager to find a buyer, seller financing is a good exit strategy that can help both parties. With this option, the seller acts as a lender to the buyer. You can negotiate almost any terms you want: purchase price, down payment, interest rate, term length, when a payoff is due (also called the balloon period), etc. In Michigan, a land contract is typically used, but you can also offer an actual mortgage. In either case, you’ll need a very experienced attorney to walk you through all the legalities. 

Apart from the benefits, it provides buyers, there are also several benefits for sellers. Some notable benefits are monthly income, an increase in ROI from interest, and spreading tax liability for a few years. Nevertheless, be mindful there are also disadvantages that come with seller financing. For example, you may have to deal with the buyer’s inability to pay, taxes, title searches, and so on.

Conclusion

Even a well-laid-out plan isn’t full proof. Sometimes, there are factors beyond your control that can affect your house flipping business. But just because it’s not going as planned doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity for profit.

A great business plan accounts for bumps in the road. With a good exit strategy, you can maneuver through your obstacles and get the best possible outcome. Consider these exit strategies to continue your flipping endeavors with confidence. Then, you will still have options to save your investments—just in case. 

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below!

Categories
Wholesaling

Top 6 Ways to Increase Real Estate Wholesaling Leads and Grow Your Buyers List

Consistent lead generation is paramount to your success in the real estate wholesaling business. Finding a seller begins the wholesale process while finding a buyer closes the deal. 

However, generating valuable leads does not come easy. 

Even when you already have a long list of leads, you’ll still have to trim it down to the quality ones. After all, you don’t want to have just any leads—you want to garner high-quality leads to close more deals. And this can only be achieved by mastering the methods for consistent lead generation.

In this article, we’re going to tackle some real estate lead generation ideas so you can keep growing your buyer’ list. By having consistent growth in your buyers’ list, you can be confident that you’ll keep closing wholesale deals—and keep your income stream flowing. 

6 Ways to Generate More Leads

Generating leads in wholesale real estate requires diligence. That said, even a wholesaler’s time and effort are an investment. To ensure that your work pays off, you’ll have to work smart—not hard. 

For example, if your current method isn’t giving you the desired results, you need to try different lead generation strategies. Remember what Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” 

And you don’t want to fall into that frustrating trap.

So, consider using these wholesale lead generation strategies to fill up your list, so you can spend time closing more deals.

1. Multiple Listing Service (MLS)

The Multiple Listing Service is an exclusive online database for licensed real estate agents, featuring properties available and sold on the market. What’s great about this is that it can automatically send leads to your inbox, among many other perks. More importantly, this real estate lead generation strategy is completely free—as long as you find access to it. 

Another benefit of this is that it can also connect you to other real estate investors in the market. As you grow your buyer’s list, you can also grow your business network.

Still, using MLS requires some dedication to be effective. Since a lot of agents use this strategy, posts can easily get lost among thousands. You’ll also need to go through many real estate leads until you find quality ones. 

So, yes, MLS comes with a few challenges. But, it’s comprehensive, affordable, and convenient—making it a terrific real estate lead generation method. 

2. Leverage Networking

Connecting with other real estate investors and helping each other out can keep you consistently closing deals. Now, some wholesalers are looking for sellers while others are looking for buyers. But by pooling together your resources, you can establish a mutually beneficial relationship. 

Nevertheless, this setup requires you to split profits. You’ll earn a bit less, which means you need more leads to compensate. This strategy is still great for growing your buyers’ list, as well as your network, so the pros outweigh the cons.

Apart from the real estate community, you can also look at your personal network. You never know which one of your friends or family members is looking to invest in. A quick post on social media sites or asking around might seal you some great—unexpected—deals. 

In other words, think out of the box and use your current network to generate wholesaling leads.

3. Cold Calling

This method is a popular one, as it kills two birds with one stone. By cold calling, you use your existing leads to generate new ones. 

The idea behind this is that people with similar interests usually gather together. Similar to how there is a network of wholesalers, there is also a network of buyers. So, take advantage of your current connections to see if they know others who are interested in your deals, even if they aren’t interested themselves.

Once you’ve identified some prospects, give them a quick call. Then, keep all of these individuals in mind and remember to follow up whenever you have something to offer. You can then continuously assess which ones are willing to make a deal, giving you very high-quality leads more willing to make a deal with you.

4. Drive for Dollars

Driving for dollars is a tried and tested strategy for real estate lead generation. There are many leads out there in the world—and sometimes all it takes is a quick drive around town to spot the right signs, literally. Yes, your car’s mileage will increase, but so will your buyer’s list.

Many real estate investors are also renters. In other words, you might find a house with “for rent” signs and contact details. 

Once you see these potential clients, give them a call to ask if they’re investors looking for properties. Investors are always looking for the next opportunity, so you might just get lucky and land on a willing prospect. And even if the person is an agent, that still works, because they might be looking for properties on the market as well.

5. Real Estate Agents

If there’s anyone that’s knowledgeable about the local real estate market, it’s the real estate agents. 

If you’re considering doing future investments in a certain area, a real estate agent can help you start. Real estate agents can be very helpful in building your buyers list and growing your own network. When you’re investing in a new area, they can help you close your first few deals by linking you to local sellers, investors, and properties in the local market.

Once you gain a grasp of the local market, you can start doing deals on your own. Alternatively, if you establish a good business relationship, you can even consider becoming long-term business partners. Real estate agents won’t only help you grow your buyers’ list, but they can help you land consistent deals.

6. Bandit Signs

Bandit signs are poster-sized signs with a short, direct message and contact details. You usually see a dozen of these signs near a property, often in high-traffic areas like local markets, shopping malls, and busy streets. It’s a common practice in real estate since it’s an effective form of real estate marketing. 

After all, leads can come from all sorts of places. And this method is a great way for you to cover multiple areas and expand your reach. Also, it’s usually quite affordable to put up bandit signs making this a more cost-effective way to strategically grow a buyer’s list.

Conclusion

Real estate wholesaling takes time, effort, and commitment. As a wholesaler, you have to strategize, think ahead, and be ready to face challenges head-on. Yes, generating wholesale leads does take a lot of work. But if you do it right, all that hard work pays off. The more leads you generate, the higher your chances of closing deals. 

With these strategies at your disposal, you’re now ready to generate consistent leads to propel your real estate wholesaling journey to the next level.

Got tips of your own or stories to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Image courtesy of RODNAE Productions

Categories
Shortterm Rentals

Feeling Invisible? Here’s How to Manage Multiple Airbnb Listings for Increased Visibility

Airbnb owner on her cell phone

As COVID-19 slowly loosens its grip on our society, Airbnb’s popularity is reemerging from the ashes. 

While the company saw a 72% drop in its services at the height of the pandemic, Airbnb is now seeing an increase in bookings once more, thanks to significant restructuring.

With this post-pandemic growth, short-term rental landlords are now looking at ways to optimize their vacation rental business to take advantage of the boom. And, more importantly, stand out from the competition. 

One of these techniques is using multiple Airbnb accounts for your various properties, as we’ll see in this article. Of course, there are a few things to keep in mind, but the strategy proves to be a great way to show up more in Airbnb’s search results, increase your property’s visibility, attract more guests, and secure more bookings.

Let’s take a closer look.

Can I Have Multiple Airbnb Accounts?

You may be thinking, “Is it even legal to list the same property on multiple Airbnb accounts?” After all, you don’t want to go against any of Airbnb’s rules and regulations and risk getting banned altogether. The company can track single IP addresses or cross-reference your contact information to prevent its users from having  multiple accounts

Since they do regularly crackdown on users trying to flood Airbnb listings with the same property, we advise against it. However, if you have multiple properties, then you can have a different account for each different property. 

While it is a lot more work, it can be alright if you are operating an Airbnb business with different properties in vastly different areas. We’ll explain why you might do that in a bit. 

Of course, if you don’t want to deal with multiple accounts for your listings, consider posting your properties on multiple platforms instead of just Airbnb. There are plenty of other options today like VRBO, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor. You can even try social media sites like Facebook and Instagram to expand your reach.

Next up, let’s explore the situations where you can have multiple Airbnb accounts. 

When Should I Have Multiple Airbnb Accounts?

As we said, Airbnb doesn’t allow users to manage multiple accounts for the same listings. Although, managing multiple accounts for other situations can be beneficial for your short-term rental properties. Keep in mind, this advice is for people with multiple properties.

Now, here are a few reasons why you might need multiple Airbnb accounts, you can:

  • Have separate accounts for the properties that are in different locations. They’ll have unique addresses that will help potential guests see that your rentals are in a specific area, rather than thinking you’re spread across multiple locations (and might not have expertise in the local area). Plus, if you have Superhost status and get a bad review on a different property, it won’t affect your status on your other accounts.
  • Have separate accounts if you’re running a property management company. This way, your team can oversee several properties across the Airbnb platform. You can have one account for guest bookings and another for hosting services, although this might complicate things for your team.

As you can see, there are some cases where you have multiple Airbnb accounts. But, make sure that you are always following the rules on the platform, so you don’t get banned and miss out on additional income. 

How Can I Manage Multiple Airbnb Accounts?

Now, managing multiple Airbnb accounts isn’t easy. You’ll have to figure out a way to do the following across different accounts, logging in and out of each profile to:

  • Stay on top of your messages and communication with guests
  • Update your calendar to avoid double-bookings
  • Change your prices, post new information, or pick new photos for your listings

It’s a lot to do, but you can use smart tools to streamline daily property management operations and control the many aspects of your short-term rental business. 

Here are a few ways to do so:

  • Hire a property management company to handle properties on your behalf. Get in touch with us if your short-term rental properties are in the Metro Detroit area!
  • Use a vacation rental software solution like AirGMS to automate operations.
  • Bring in a co-host to double your workforce and combine Airbnb techniques.

Follow these tips to help you take care of multiple Airbnb accounts and lessen your chances of going against Airbnb’s rules. Additionally, having a property management company or co-host means you’ll be logging in to Airbnb via different IP addresses, which helps your case.

Level Up Your Airbnb Strategy

Take the time to consider whether you can manage different Airbnb accounts and if it makes sense for your portfolio of short-term rentals. The better you plan for it, the greater the chances of your properties ranking higher in Airbnb’s search results—being more visible to potential guests.

Once everything is running smoothly, you can sit back, relax, and watch your bookings increase alongside Airbnb’s post-pandemic revival. 

Got any thoughts on this listing strategy? Comment down below, and let’s get a conversation going.

Image courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio

Categories
Wholesaling

Build Dual Income Streams by Wholesaling and Renting Real Estate

Most real estate wholesalers only focus on only one thing: Connecting sellers with buyers. So, they build a buyers’ list of flippers and buy-and-hold investors every day, manually turning the wheel and generating a consistent flow of income by sealing deals as often as possible.

However, while being the middleman is lucrative, it can also be very labor-intensive.

You’re constantly on the lookout, hunting for opportunities to get a house under contract at a workable price. Then you’re always trying to find buyers to sell it immediately after purchasing. As a result, you buy low, sell high, and repeat—because stopping means no income.

Eventually, you get to a point where you’re sealing more deals than you expected. You feel like you’re all maxed out, working 60 to 80 hours a week. You say to yourself, “I made it! I’ll just keep doing this to make more money.” 

And that’s what you’ll do forever.

Is it really worth the time you’re spending on it? Personally, we think there’s another, smarter way to use your time and money. In this article, we’ll show you how to harness the money-making power of wholesaling real estate plus renting out properties to build a two-layer strategy within your portfolio. That way, you can generate both active AND passive income.

Wholesaling Real Estate is Short-Term Money – So, it’s a JOB

Wholesaling makes money at high volumes. But the biggest downfall with wholesaling properties is that there is a limit to your earning capability (i.e. the number of deals you can physically close each month) because it’s very hard to scale.

The reality is this: Wholesaling doesn’t build up wealth. It relies on your constant hustling it to earn a living. When you stop working, your income stops.

Let’s illustrate this point by going over your daily schedule as a wholesaler:

  1. You wake up early to make phone calls and reach potential sellers and buyers before they go to work.
  2. You continue those calls until lunchtime, because you want to catch them when they’re on break.
  3. Then you crawl from courthouses to probates, scan divorce and bankruptcy rooms, do direct mailings, and drive around target neighborhoods to seek good deals.
  4. You also stay in touch with sellers, agents, and buyers with follow-up calls, emails, or physical mailing lists.
  5. You input all of this information in your tracking sheets and databases and continue tomorrow.

You’re doing the grind, trying to build a pipeline. Eventually, you’ll realize that there’s a ceiling to your earning capability because, at the end of the day, you’re trading time for money.

For example, you can’t physically do 500 calls a day to increase getting good deals. And while you probably feel ecstatic with learning how to improve your margins from one sale to another, you’ll eventually realize that $6,500 a month… just isn’t enough.

If you want to do something bigger but with less effort, you need something more scalable. You have to expand to other real estate investment strategies to gain more wealth.

Wholesaling Real Estate to Support Long-Term Wealth

Wholesaling is lucrative—especially when you use it as a feeder to a larger, wealth-building business.

Here’s the idea: Try to combine the active income you get from wholesaling with other investments that can give you passive income. That way, you’ll earn money in the long haul—not just that month.

Let’s see how this idea works. 

Imagine if you buy one house for every seven that you wholesale. You turn that house into a rental and start earning monthly income from rent. The result? You’ll earn dollars that will help you pay an annuity forever. You’ll create a ripple effect, growing your portfolio with two strong streams of income—wholesaling fees and rental income. 

Wholesaling vs. Rental Properties

By setting goals like the example above, you stand to gain advantages from both investment strategies. You can make quick money from wholesaling deals, channel a portion of your profits into rental investments, and achieve long-term financial freedom that’s not dependent on you working 9-5 as a wholesaler.

Wholesaling Real Estate + Rental Properties = Lucrative Portfolio

Make the most out of your time and money. You don’t have to stick to one real estate investment strategy. Instead, you can connect them to build wealth in your portfolio and surpass your previous income goals.

To wrap it all up, continue with your wholesaling plans, but set new goals for the long haul. You’ll find that it’s much more fulfilling to build a business that looks to the future. Treat wholesaling as a part of your overall investment strategy—instead of just a side hustle.

What is your goal in wholesaling real estate? What’s keeping you from scaling your investments?5

Categories
Flipping

Why You Should Always Target Distressed Properties to Flip (And Where to Find Them)

Creepy old mansions may be a nightmare for most people, but they’re hidden gems for a house flipper. These oldie-but-goodie properties are examples of how distressed properties have great value within them, giving real estate investors opportunities to gain massive flipping profits.

Why are there distressed properties in the first place?

Well, there are a lot of reasons why a home could become neglected. Here are a few examples:

  • The home could’ve been a foreclosed home left to someone as inheritance, but it’s located far from where the person currently lives. The home left behind will often go into probate for a year, during which time the new owner cannot touch it. That means it’ll sit for a year, quickly deteriorating.
  • The home could’ve gone through a natural disaster like a flood or tornado, and the owner doesn’t have the funds to repair it. It’ll also sit there rotting away.
  • The home could’ve been a rental that a tenant trashed and the landlord can’t take it anymore—not bothering to fix the home up again.
  • The home could’ve been owned by a hoarder with low income. They pay taxes, sure, but they don’t have the money, skill, or energy to keep the house in good condition.

Any of these situations leave many homes neglected and, eventually, distressed. However, while these homes are someone’s problem, they’re certainly your investment opportunity.

Here are a few reasons you should buy distressed properties, and how you can find these lucrative deals.

The Flipping Opportunity with Distressed Properties

To understand how the concept works, we need to first discuss how a home becomes a distressed property. So, here’s what usually happens:

  1. Owner Hardship and/or Neglect: Owner of a property loses their job, becomes ill or perhaps relocates. They may also inherit the property.
  2. Property Deteriorates: The issues above lead to the property falling into disrepair. At a certain point, potential buyers either don’t want to take on the repairs or can’t get a standard mortgage on it due to the poor condition.
  3. Cash Opportunity: At some point the homeowner will try to sell the property. Or maybe a motivated flipper can convince them they should sell. Either way, they will have to sell at a discount due to the lack of market demand for the property when it’s in poor condition. 

Situations like these give you opportunities to buy properties at a low price. These distressed properties are ideal for flipping because they’re rundown homes with tons of hidden value. Yes, they’re cheap because they’re in poor condition, but the lack of market demand will drive the market value even lower than the cost of repairs. 

The Risks and Benefits of Flipping Distressed Properties

Now, while the benefits of flipping distressed properties sound exciting, there are certain risks you’ll need to consider before committing to one. Here’s a chart to help you see the full picture:

The benefits are great, but the risks are inevitable. By anticipating the potential issues that sometimes arise with distressed properties, you’ll be ready to handle high-risk, high-reward fix-and-flip projects without a hitch.

Ways to Find Distressed Properties

You won’t find “distressed property” a common label in the real estate industry. Instead, you’ll need to think more strategically about how to find situations that will have motivated sellers. 

Thankfully, there are several ways to seek out distressed properties. Here are some of them:

  • Drive For Dollars: Select a neighborhood and look for homes with obvious signs of neglect. These can be signs like multiple notices on the front door, peeling and faded paint, an unkempt yard, broken windows, or uncollected mail.
  • Access the Multiple Listing Service (MLS): If you can find a way to access the MLS (say, if you have a real estate license or a friend who can help you), you can find distressed properties with remarks like,  “handyman special” or “fixer upper”. The longer the property stays in the MLS, the higher the motivation of the seller.
  • Find Foreclosed Properties (REOs): Peruse REO and bank-owned properties to find good opportunities. Lenders and banks aren’t in the business of keeping properties, and want to get rid of these non-performing assets as soon as possible. They will likely sell the homes to you at a discount.
  • Identify Homes with Delinquent Mortgage Payments: You can find public records of delinquent mortgages at your local courthouses. Individuals who can’t pay their mortgage are likely willing to sell their home to avoid foreclosure. 

You can also try to find motivated sellers with delinquent property taxes, as they’re likely behind on mortgage payments as well.

  • Consider Probate Options: You can visit the probate court to find properties left behind by situations such as divorce or death in the family. In some cases, the family left behind might not want the home. That said, keep in mind that you’ll need a special process to make an offer, since the property will be sold through an executor or attorney.
  • Get in Touch with Out-Of-State (OOS) Owners: Whatever the reason is for them moving to another state, some homeowners struggle to maintain the properties they can’t visit often. The result is distressed properties with highly motivated sellers. You can identify these people through direct mail or networking.
  • Check City Records for Code Enforcement Tickets: A property getting numerous tickets for neglect is a sign of an owner not taking care of their property and may be interested in selling.

Conclusion

Distressed properties are the perfect choice for house flippers since your goal is to acquire undervalued properties with the highest flipping profit. By buying valuable properties at a low price point, you’ll set yourself up to gain a large margin for a profitable fix-and-flip project.

What is your experience with buying distressed properties? Do you have any tips on successfully flipping them for a high profit?

Image courtesy of Malte Luk

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