Fliperati

While I thought that flipping had gained tremendous popularity across America and everybody and their brother was trying to get into the business, apparently this phenomenon has not yet reached the northern New Jersey area.  Or at least it hasn’t penetrated the inner recesses of the Realtor® community there, because I received a similar incredulous response at every office I called over the course of the past week.  “Huh?  You want a run-down house to fix up?  Oh, jeez – I don’t know if I have anything like that.  Never had anybody ask for a dumpy house before.” 

Fortunately, I had a stroke of unbelievable luck when I got a great response to a “Help Wanted” listing from an experienced local flipper/real estate agent after I posted a notice describing my objectives on an area real estate website.  I got tons of spam from agents who didn’t even bother to read the details of what I was looking for, but it was well worth it to find “John” – who was even willing to share his rehabbing worksheet and serve as a mentor over the course of my first flip (perhaps not so surprising since it’s in his best interest for me to succeed and continue coming to him for new properties and to list my sales).  He has proven to be extremely knowledgeable, trustworthy and hard-working since we first started discussing my investment objectives and I couldn’t be happier to be working with him.