About 100 different groups came out to enjoy the open house/jazz brunch on Mariposa.  Property sold for all cash with a 14 day escrow.

I just love it when a plan comes together!

As the real estate market heats up again, people seeking quick profits by “flipping” properties are coming out of the woodwork. Experts worry that they are going to hurt the California market, but what is a flip? As it turns out, there are good ones and bad ones. A Good Flip, is one where a junker property is purchased, improved, and resold. The improvements can range from upgrading kitchens, bathrooms, and paint, to complete home renovation, including all major systems, landscaping, and possibly adding substantial square footage. In these situations neighborhoods are improved, as eye-sores, or even abandoned homes are replaced by desirable homes, with new owners that ultimately reshape the community for the better.

What is a Bad Flip then?

Bad Flips were common in the last real estate run up before the bubble popped. These were represented by scenarios where people purchased property, and then resold it quickly thereafter for a profit. The distinguishing factor is that no inherent value was being added by the “flipper.” No work was being done, and nothing was improved. This only works when market conditions are such that appreciation is occurring so rapidly that people are encouraged, and able to take advantage of it.

Another bad scenario is when competition for fixer upper property gets so stiff that people (often newcomers to the flipping world) buy properties for far more than they can buy them for, and reasonably expect to make a profit. In other words, the less experienced, or the careless investor comes to rely on appreciation to make deals work. Without substantial rapid appreciation, fueled by buyer frenzy, these flippers would lose money.

The bright spot on the real estate horizon this time around is that in order to obtain property to flip, substantial amounts of money are needed in the form of down payment and rehab budget. Gone are the days when banks freely doled out money to overpay for a property, and overspend to fix it up. In today’s world of tightened lending guidelines, people have to prove that they qualify to borrow money. They also have to demonstrate that they are likely to be able to rehab a property in a timely, and profitable fashion.

Flipping is sexy. The prospect of making large profits over a relatively short amount of time will always bring people into the fray. And when rapid appreciation makes it seems easy, everyone wants to get in on the action. With today’s more responsible lending standards, one can be hopeful that flippers won’t push the market out of balance too quickly. But one thing is certain: When Flipping has the attention of the nation again, as it does today, the market is in for a wild ride.

Over the last few years it seems like there isn’t much to be excited about when it comes to finances in the Good Ol’ US of A. Every time you turn on the television, click on yahoo, or read a magazine cover (possibly while standing in line to buy groceries) you’re hit with something negative:

• Unemployment Up
• Unemployment Down (But not far enough)
• Foreclosures are Rising
• Gas Prices Rising
• Rents are Rising

You get the picture…

How is your retirement doing? Last I checked, my wife’s 401k at work was earning about 3%. Lousy. My friend’s actually lost money last year.

But one smart investor I know just averaged about 12% annual interest by lending me the money to buy the Highland Park Bungalow I posted last month. He made a simple loan secured by real estate. We found the property, fixed it up, and resold it in a matter of months. He got the full amount he invested back, plus interest. He earned more in a few months than my wife’s 401k did all year.

Wanna learn how? Call me for more details.

This month’s mailer was filled with strategies to help you maximize your efforts whether you needed to buy OR sell a home.

Here is a link that pertains to one particular point for sellers: Price Reductions.

Although due to strong demand it might seem absurd in some areas, in others, price reductions are still very real. And if your realtor didn’t help you to price the home correctly out of the gate, then there can be even more trouble. Click on this link for important facts about “How to Get Your Home Sold.”

This cooler than cool Bungalow will have Whole-House Sound, a Giant Back Yard, Super Sweet Kitchen with Island Bar, and a Master Suite that opens onto a 300 sqft deck!  How’s that for summer parties?

Rents are going up! – I got a referral a few weeks ago to someone who probably had the ability to buy a home, but instead was looking to rent. There weren’t any extenuating variables such as an upcoming relocation, or jeopardy of job loss. This guy was the perfect candidate to buy something, but he thought that by renting he was making a better “financial choice.” I scratched my head and said “OK.” A good personal choice for him and his life? Who knows. A good financial choice? Nope. Doubt it. You can take your chances in a rising rent environment, or lock in a mortgage payment based on a combination of record low interest rates, and some of the most affordable real estate in decades. Take a look at the following L.A. Times article to see what’s going on out there. (Click Here)

This month’s mailer was all about home repair, the value of doing it, vs. not doing it. I’ve included a link here that gives a bit more detail about hiring professionals for regular maintenance. Check out this little follow up to the mailer. Avoid the High Cost of Wear and Tear. And Oh, By the Way… If you need a referral to a great contractor, plumber, electrician, chimney repair service etc. give me a call. I know everybody!

Sweet Bungalow in Highland Park – Just to illustrate further, what deferring maintenance does to you when you want to sell, I present this bungalow in Highland Park. I picked it up for only $215,000. I put in about $100,000 to bring it back to new, and I’ll be selling it in July for somewhere in the neighborhood of $400,000. How much more could the sellers have made had they only done regular maintenance on the property? $40,000? $50,000? You get the picture.

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 is set to expire in December. What does this mean?  Basically this: For those those of you who are facing a potential foreclosure, or short sale situation, the government has been offering a holiday on the capital gains taxes that could potentially be incurred as a result of the event. This will be ending soon.

This is how this all works in plain English. If you short sell a home or lose it in foreclosure, and that home is worth $500k, but it only gets $400k, then the $100k difference has traditionally been considered a taxable event. This means that if you are in, let’s say the 28% tax bracket, you could owe somewhere in the neighborhood of $28,000 in federal taxes! Although the government has not been enforcing this practice since 2007, it is scheduled to recommence taxing the heck out people at the end of this year.

So here’s the take away – If you are facing a foreclosure, or you might have to short sell a home, start working with a great real estate agent now to list those homes and get them sold before the end of the year dead line. The savings difference to you could literally be tens of thousands of dollars.

… I know a great agent you can use.

Do you own a home that has seen better days? Can you see daylight through the ceiling, but never even installed a skylight? Have you been thinking you would like to sell that junker, but you just know you wouldn’t get anything but a bunch of low-ball offers?

How would you like to sell that thing for full pop, top dollar, full market value or above?

Ever hear of an Equity Split?

An equity split is a unique transaction wherein an investor (like me) literally becomes your partner to help you sell your home. He brings brings in enough cash to help you move out, cure any legal issues (like an impending foreclosure), and renovate your property to the exact specifications that make the home buyers in your area to go absolutely nuts.

Gorgeous rehabs create excitement. Both during and after the rehab, your investor partner uses unconventional marketing techniques to help create a frenzy of hungry buyers. When the time comes to sell, there is already a waiting list of people hoping to get an early in with your old (and formerly ugly) place.

So what does this look like to you?

Here is an example of how this could work. Let’s say you have an old 2 bedroom 2 bath Highland Park Bungalow that needs tons of work. If you put that property on the market today it would have a value of about $215,000. After all the costs of selling – we’ll use 8% – you would net about $197,000.

An Equity Split would look something like this:

The new all fixed-up sale price of your sweet new pad would be about $405,000. We’ll use the same 8% for cost of sale, leaving us with $372,600. The costs to fix up the property, help you move, cure foreclosure, etc. might be $110,000, leaving $262,000. You and the investor would split the difference between that number and the original $197,000 you would have gotten from selling the property before it was all fixed up.

In other words you would net over $230,000. That’s $30,000 more than you would have originally! So there you have it.  Top dollar for a bottom of the line house.

Call me for more details