How To Purchase House

London is the real estate hot spot for high net worth individuals today even though it is the world’s most expensive place to buy property for residential purpose. Price of properties is as high as over two thousand pounds or over four thousand dollars a square foot! The hike in prices can be attributed to the purchasing capacity of high net worth individuals as clearly indicated by the steep rise in central London properties. Property industry is flourishing, with landmark buildings being sold at premium rates. One such building is the HSBC head office at Canary Wharf which fetched the highest ever price in Britain.
London being the global financial capital, the demand for office spaces is on the rise and attracting buyers from all over the world. Such properties have been fetching high returns for their commercial worth. The rental yields of such property are extremely high. With commercial property prices escalating, residential prices too are on the rise, making the luxury property prices go through the roof. Flats in London cost as high as over four thousand pounds per square foot. The really high prices of luxury apartments in Knightsbridge have turned London’s penthouses into the most expensive residential properties. Another prize address is the Hyde Park area where costs of smart homes have shot up by about fifty percent.
Some of the prize residential places would be featuring bullet proof windows, purified air and even “panic rooms” to take care of security. A squash court and spa would be added attractions in the much luxurious and prestige residences now being made available in central London. The London hot spot real estates for high net worth individuals are a class of their own.
Clients are making a grab for these very prestigious places in the heart of London city, without even viewing the showcased property. Such places are being identified by Russian oligarchs and Arab princes and the prices are booming. The rise in interest rates along with the rise in prices have not deterred the high net worth individuals who seem even more determined to buy such prize property knowing its value in tomorrow’s world.
Considering the rise in prices, it is predicted that home prices in the capital will escalate still further as the demand is outstripping the supply. The only thing about this excessively high range of prices is cordoning off areas as being areas of the ‘rich’ and the high net worth individuals and the other more affordable houses as the ‘poor’. People love the mix of the affordable and the very rich lifestyle.
All said and done, London has become the most prized and expensive place in the world to buy luxury property at the new price record of four thousand pounds a square foot. It is attracting buyers from Russia, India and Asia because of the attractive tax structure which enables them to reside in another country without paying taxes on the money kept there. Bonuses earned by those working in the financial service industry are ploughed in to buy larger and more luxurious homes.

When facing foreclosure you can attempt to market your home For Sale By Owner or FSBO as it is said in the real estate industry. This will allow you to not pay real estate agent fees and still be open for a foreclosure real estate investor to purchase your home if need be.
When marketing your “for sale by owner” home, there are three essential elements for a successful marketing campaign. The first is headline that will grab the attention of your prospects. When writing your headline, use the features of your home in the headline, such as “Split Floor Plan, The Kids Won’t Hear!” (that’s if you are daring) or something a bit more conservative “Beautiful Home Needs Loving Family” You want your headline to be explosive enough to catch the potential home shopper’s attention. You want them to read your ad about your home. By being different than the other headlines you will more than likely have more readers.
Another element is to highlight one of the properties best features, such as an ocean view, recently remodeled or within walking distance of schools. You want to give reason for the prospect to actually want to see your home. If you have space, show the benefit as well. “Recently remodeled so you don’t have to” Or, “Walking Distance of Schools, You can sleep in” This will give them even more reason to want to look at your home before making a final purchase. Having witty headlines again, will allow you to stand out and above the others.
A good closing line will prompt the potential buyer to call. You will want to appeal to their desire to own a home, or maybe as a good investment, or even their sense of urgency. “See it Now, before it is gone!” or “Don’t pay your landlord another dime!” are just some examples. Once you have your ad completed, you will submit it to your local newspaper.
Another effective method of marketing is by having an “Open House”. In order to have the best open house, be sure to have your home clean and clear of clutter. Take down the personal pictures so others can imagine themselves living in the house. Being that you are avoiding foreclosure, I understand that money may be tight, but if you are able complete any minor repairs that are visible.
Make up flyers so everyone who attends your open house will get a flyer before they leave. The flyers should be an 8 1/2 x 11 inch fact sheet describing your home, the asking price and numbers on how you can be reached as well as your website if you are marketing on your web page with pictures. The flyers should also list your price and describe the property. Also be sure to have the local schools and other amenities in the area listed on the flyer.
You can also attach these flyers under windshield wipers of cars, and attach flyers about your “Open House” to neighborhood mailboxes. Do Not Place Anything Inside a Mailbox! It is against the law.
When you schedule the “Open House”, be sure to schedule it for a Saturday or Sunday between 11 AM – 5 PM. Also be sure to check your calendar to ensure your “Open House” is not competing with any kind of major sports playoffs or any major religious holidays.
You might want to place an “Open House” sign in your front yard with balloons attached. If you are on a street with not a lot of drive by traffic, you may want to use some signs on prominent corners with arrows pointing the direction to your house.
Ensure you have a guest book so you can get the names, phone numbers and emails of every person who attends. If you can, make sure to take notes, and write down every positive impression and comment made by those who attended. Also write down anything that’s constructive that you can change to make the house show better. You will want to be able to keep in touch of people who show an interest. This could be especially important if you reduce your asking price or change the terms of the sale later on.
Another finishing touch for your Open House is to have cookies and water or lemonade available. It may sound hokey, but folks will feel like they are home, which is what you want.
Again, if you are facing foreclosure and want to sell your home, selling it “For Sale By Owner” may be the route to go. If you find that time is of the essence you can always contact a real estate investor that likes to purchase home that are facing foreclosure. Usually, they are able to move fast and offer a fair price.

Are you familiar with the different types of housing that you can purchase?
Read this article to find out!
If you are on the market for a new home, it is important that you know the difference between a single family home, a townhouse, and a condominium.
Familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each so that you make a wise decision about your home purchase.
Single Family Homes
The single family house is the most common type of housing in the United States. This type of housing dwelling designed for a single family and has its own land.
The house and the land are purchased and sold together. Unlike townhouses and condominiums, single family types of housing are not attached to other homes. Aside from regulations from your neighborhood or subdivision, you are free to do whatever you would like with your home.
With a single family home, you are responsible for the cost of maintaining and repairing the home, whether you do it yourself or pay someone else to do it.
In addition, landscaping and lawn maintenance are also your responsibility. If you want to have a pool or playground in your backyard, you will have to provide such amenities.
The good thing about single family homes is that you have the freedom to make whatever changes you with. Improvements to your home can greatly increase the resale value, which is already higher than that of other types of housing.
Townhouses
A townhouse is the middle-ground type of housing between a single family home and a condominium. They share characteristics with both types of housing.
In most cases, a townhouse is attached to at least one other house. When you own a townhouse you own the home as well as the property on which the home sits.
Since townhouses are a part of a larger community, you can usually find many of the amenities that you might find with an apartment.
This includes swimming pools, fitness centers, tennis courts, etc.
While you are responsible for some of the maintenance and repairs, it will not be to the extent of that of a single family dwelling.
Townhouses are often part of a Home Owner’s Association, to which you are required to be a member.
Condominiums
A condominium, condo, for short, is a type of housing that is best described as an apartment that you are able to own. When you purchase a condo, you own everything inside your walls and share ownership of common areas with your neighbors.
Often condo ownership requires you to pay a monthly fee that covers repairs and maintenance to the common area. The condo association handles exterior maintenance and repairs, but in many cases, you contribute to the cost through dues or assessments.
Condo prices are often more affordable that those of single family homes and townhouses. There are often a number of amenities available for you to use. You have a minimal responsibility for exterior maintenance and repairs.
It can be hard to resell a condo. They are known to spend a longer time on the market than other types of housing.

Buying houses with little or no money and no credit is not a myth. In fact, the process of using creative financing is exclusive to real estate investing and offers the buyer the maximum leverage possible – zero investment. So technically any profit the investor makes selling or renting the house is an infinite return on his capital ($0)! If there is a myth about using no money to buy a house, it is the myth that an investor must give the seller a monetary consideration to “seal the deal”. This is a myth because all contracts read “for the sum of $___ dollars or other good and valuable consideration…” and in this case, the valuable consideration is always the purchase of the property. Hence, no good faith money is needed to put the house under contract. An escrow deposit or “earnest money” deposit may be required depending on the seller and the offer the buyer makes.
It sounds good so lets look at the most common ways to make it happen:
The seller signs a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the stipulation that an escrow deposit will not be made until after the inspection period elapses. If the investor makes a good case for the reason, he may be able to get a 60 day inspection. This may sound outrageous, but it is common practice in our business. It works because we ask for it and compromise to 30 – 45 days instead of the usual 10 or 15 days that most investors get. This extended period gives the investor adequate time to find a buyer either wholesale or retail.
The investor can use seller financing in a couple of forms:
1.The most popular is “Subject To” financing where the seller allows an existing mortgage(s) to stay in place and the investor immediately starts making the monthly payments usually when the homeowner has vacated the property.
2.The homeowner allows a “Subject To” financing with his first mortgage and the buyer gives the seller a second mortgage for his equity for most of or the rest of the purchase price. This is appropriately called “Owner Financing” and can even be more than the purchase price if the seller agrees to help finance the funds needed for the investor’s rehab of the property.
3.The seller can lease option the house to the buyer who has a pre-determined time to re-lease option the property to an end buyer. The investor collects a larger “option consideration” that the seller gets, and he charges a markup of the lease payments to have yet another profit center. Lease options have come under regulatory scrutiny for investor abuse so get professional legal assistance before you try one. The industry secret to a lease option with a buyer is to do a “double contract” which is a lease and an option separately, but do a single contract with the seller. The single contract accrues equity with each payment while the double contract is a true lease and the buyer can be easily evicted versus a foreclosure in the case of a single document.
4.An option contract is just what it sounds like “an option with a pre-agreed upon “strike price” or purchase price for a set period of time. The usual “financial consideration” to get an option from a seller is $100 or whatever can be negotiated. The beauty of the option contract is the investor doesn’t have to have any carrying or overhead cost for the house.
5.An Equity Agreement is a contract between the seller and the investor that stipulates how the house is to be rehabbed and sold and the proceeds to be split among the seller and the investor. If you do one of these it is critical to have everything in very detailed writing so there is no misunderstanding between both parties.
In summary, the most popular of this partial list of purchase methods for little or no money and no credit is the “put it under contract for the longest possible time” and sell it wholesale. The really large profits come when the investor can work at getting at or near retail when he sells. The limiting factor for the investor is an accurate determination of all costs, expenses, and a salable market price so the house can be priced attractively enough to sell very quickly.

Real estate investing in house flipping is considerably different in today’s market. Not so long ago, house flipping was one of the more profitable real estate endeavors. Today, it takes a savvy investor to flip a house and make a quick profit.
In this type of real estate investing, distressed properties in need of repair are purchased under market value. Chances are you have seen television shows featuring real estate investors who purchase fixer-upper homes. They make repairs and renovations, than sell the house within a short period of time for a large profit. Although it isn’t quite as easy as the shows portray, house flipping can be a rewarding and profitable investment strategy.
With the massive influx of foreclosures and bank owned properties, real estate investors have an abundance of potential investment properties to choose from. Although house flipping requires skill and money, it is still one of the most popular forms of real estate investing opportunities.
Since distressed properties can be purchased under market value, real estate investors have additional funds to take care of needed repairs. They can either personally make the repairs or hire subcontractors to perform the work. In addition to repairs, these houses oftentimes require renovations such as new countertops, flooring, household appliances and landscaping. Many who are new to the real estate investing game choose to take care of the repairs on their own; as opposed to hiring others to do the work for them.
A primary benefit of house flipping is repairs and renovations can be done during evening and weekend hours. This can be a downside for newbie investors as it takes away from their family time or personal activities. The point of house flipping is to sell the house for profit in a short period of time. Those who procrastinate about making repairs quickly end up losing their profits. After all, unless you pay cash for the house you will have to make mortgage payments while you are repairing the house. The longer it takes to sell the house, the less profit you earn.
While there is no guarantee to the amount of money you can make flipping houses, the average profit margin is between $10,000 and $30,000. If you purchase and flip four houses per year and earn $10,000 profit on each house, you can put an extra $40,000 in your pocket. Imagine what you could earn if you made $30,000 or more from each home. Before long, you could quit your day job and make real estate investing your full-time career.
House flipping is the perfect real estate investing choice for individuals who enjoy do-it-yourself projects. If you possess the skills to perform the work yourself you can save a tremendous amount of money. If you don’t enjoy performing manual labor, there are many skilled laborers eager and willing to perform the work at a reasonable price.
In addition to offering high profit margins, house flipping offers the reward of transforming a run-down, neglected house into a beautiful home where a family can create life-long memories. Although house flipping generally requires substantial physical labor, the rewards are certainly worth the effort.
Real estate investing for the purpose of house flipping may or may not be right for you. Before you decide, take time to research your options. The Internet is a great place to start and can help you locate foreclosure or real estate owned (REO) properties. Many Realtors conduct real estate investing seminars, so check the real estate and Classifieds section of your local newspaper to locate seminars in your area.
Last, but not least, seek out private real estate investors who specialize in distressed properties. Many investors purchase bank portfolios at wholesale prices, which enable them to pass along significant savings to buyers. Oftentimes, these properties can be purchased for pennies on the dollar which provides buyers with instant equity.
If you do not have previous experience in real estate investing or house flipping, it is strongly recommended to educate yourself about the process before making an offer on any house. Doing so could save you a tremendous amount of time, money and frustration.

Intended Audience

Individuals looking to purchase a home for personal use or as an investment. As well, looking into conventional wisdom’s statement that buying a house is one of the best investments someone can make.

Summary Points to Take Away

Analysis

Conventional wisdom states that buying a house is one of the smartest and best investments an individual can make. This article is geared towards challenging this conclusion to see whether this statement rears any truth to it.

Why a House is a Good Investment?

Forced Savings Plan

Most individuals claim that the purchase of their personal home was the best investment they’ve ever made, which is true in most cases because it is the only investment they’ve ever made. The general public struggles with saving for retirement; thus, purchasing a house assists in that problem as it forces individuals to continuously pay down the mortgage (or lose the house in a foreclosure to the bank); therefore, allows the storing of equity for the owners. This built up equity (i.e. market value of home minus remaining mortgage) can be borrowed against during their retirement years or they can downgrad into a less expensive house in order to provide some retirement funds to the owner. If individuals take a disciplined approach to saving, then the benefit of being forced to save in order to pay for a house diminishes

Leverage

Typical real estate purchase require only a 5% deposit, while the remaining amount can be borrowed through bank debt. Few alternative investments outside of real estate can the acquirer obtain such significant leverage, which can enhance investment returns.

Example, suppose that you purchased a home for $200k, for which you made a 5% deposit down ($10k). During the next few years the house appreciates in value and you sell it for $220k (10% higher than the level you purchased it). Though the return on the house is only 10%, the return to the investor based on invested funds sunk into the home ($10k) is 200% ($20k earned over $10k investment) –  that is the power of leverage. On the negative side, more debt means higher fixed monthly mortgage payments; thus, higher risk of being able to make the monthly mortgage payments. As long as cash flow is not a concern and the mortgage payments can be met – investments should be leveraged to maximize returns to the investor. Could you imagine walking into a bank and asking for $100k to invest in equities while only putting 5% down – likely to never happen, this is a major benefit of real estate ownership.

Inflation Resistant

Real estate holds its value during inflationary periods; thus, acts as a hedge against the investors other assets that aren’t protective against inflation (ex. Currency). The asset will continue to hold its buying power (store of value), which is difficult to get outside of investing in precious metals. The reason real estate holds its value is there is the same number of houses that the increased monetary supply of dollars are chasing; thus, it’ll take more dollars to purchase the houses as the supply of houses stays stagnate while the demand rises (due to the increase in the number of dollars in everyone’s hands). This can become critical given the current economic times and numerous expansions of monetary supply across many nations, which will have the aftermath affect of higher inflation.

Capital Gain is Tax FreeIn Canada, every home owner is provided with a capital gain exemption on amounts earned in excess of cost for their principal residence. Only one piece of real estate can be claimed as the principal residence per individual. For example, if you owned a home and a cottage, only one of those houses upon selling could take advantage of the principal residence exemption. No other asset class has such advantageous tax reduction characteristics. Unfortunately this is a onetime event; thus, those holding numerous pieces of real estate can only apply it to one property.

Allows for Control over the Asset

Real estate is typically an investment an individual has control over (assuming you’re the majority owner – which is typically the case) by the means of the owner has the ability to increase the value of the asset, which may not be the case in most other investment opportunities. When purchasing real estate, owners can make capital improvements to the home (ex. Finished basement, new porch, etc.), which will increase the value of the property (capital appreciation) as compared to purchasing stocks or mutual funds as assets where the owner can’t take action to increase the value of those assets (unless they’re a significant owner, greater than 20% – which is typically unlikely). The ability to control an asset adds value to the owner through what is known as a control premium, as a real estate asset may be more valuable in the hands of some individuals over others.

Why a House is a Bad Investment

Lack of Diversification

Average individual thinks the stock market is very risky while investing in real estate is more of a certainty. Purchasing equities allows the owner to conveniently hedge their risk amongst various companies in numerous industries, countries, etc. The purchase of real estate doesn’t provide the ability to diversify risk away as easily unless an investor plans on owning numerous pieces of different types of properties (ex. residential, commercial, resorts, etc) across various markets (North America, Europe, etc) – which is probably very unlikely for the average investor. Purchasing real estate prevents the diversification of risk because it’s dependent on the economic, migration, and regulation trends of the local area.

For example, assume you purchased a home in Oshawa, Ontario – which is a town extremely reliant on the large manufacturing facility of General Motors (GM). Should GM cut back on production or move their facility housing prices would fall sharply as it is the biggest employer in the area; thus, demand from individuals will decline as unemployment rises and real incomes fall. With a decline in demand and supply staying stagnate (as you typically can’t “un-build” a house once it’s constructed) the price will have to shift towards in order to align demand with supply.

Real estate doesn’t allow the investor to diversify away the specific risks in the local area as compared to purchasing equities, which allows the investor to spread risk amongst investments that perform differently during different points along the business cycle. Most individuals when purchasing real estate have all their eggs in one basket.

Maintenance Costs

Transaction and maintenance costs are significantly higher for real estate investments than stocks, mutual funds, etc. When purchasing stocks costs are typically broker commissions ($20 per transaction if using an online discount broker), while when purchasing a home it is typically 2% commission on the transaction value, significantly higher than purchasing equities.

Once you purchase shares, no further cash is required from the investor unlike real estate, which requires constant annual expenditures that continue to increase the investors cash committed towards the property, such as property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and repairs of the asset, etc. These are costs that real estate investors or home purchasers don’t factor into their expected return, but play a significant role as the payment of property taxes (etc.) doesn’t contribute to the value of the property for eventual sale in the hopes of capital appreciation.

Historical Lower Returns Compared to Equities

During any 20 year period throughout history, no other asset class has outperformed equities, which includes real estate. This is from the perspective of asset vs. asset without consideration of leverage and how that may enhance returns (as discussed earlier). While it is true that over the long run real estate prices go up in value, this is typically due to inflation incurred. Recent spikes in housing prices seen in the past 10 to 15 years has been due to changing demographics, specifically the baby boomer generation (who makes up largest segment of the population in North America) go through life stages at the same time (same goes for starting a family and purchasing a home and real estate investment property). The result was a large influx in demand without a corresponding increase in supply as construction requires lead time; thus, leading to rising real estate prices.

Will this high demand continue? That’s where the argument lies. Likely there will be softness felt in overall real estate demand as baby boomers already have their homes and they’re likely to either stay put, move to retirement homes or downgrade into a smaller place in order to obtain some retirement income. Immigration will continue into North America that will prop up demand, but likely not the extent to fulfill the whole in demand left by the baby boomer generation; therefore, the future appreciation in real estate properties is likely to flatten out.

Can’t Take Advantage of Available Opportunities

The purchase of a home or real estate property requires the individual to tie up a significant portion of their net worth into the property (in a lot of cases, all of it). Having all your net worth in real estate is a risky strategy as you’ll be severely impacted by movements in real estate prices as compared to having your cash tied up into several asset classes; thus, less vulnerable to swings in any one asset class. Similar to the discussion had under the “diversification” section of this article.

With the majority of an investors net worth tied up in a real estate property, there isn’t available cash to take advantage of other opportunities that come along; thus, significant opportunity costs are involved in venturing into real estate. This should be considered before purchasing an expensive personal home or making a real estate investment.

Limited Scope

Real estate is a local good, unlike gold for example – which can be bought and sold throughout the year for the same market price. An individual looking to buy a personal home or make a real estate investment doesn’t have access to all available properties as there are physical limitations to contend with. It comes down to wanting to live where you grew up or currently work or not wanting to buy a rental property far from your home in order to reduce logistical issues. For example, if you live in Toronto, Ontario and are looking to make an investment in a rental property, you’re unlikely to consider properties in Paris, France though the opportunities may be better than those surrounding Toronto due to language and logistic issues. Equities (and etc.) are globally traded and available; thus, users can take advantage of opportunities around the world; thus, their scope is not limited to the local area of their current surroundings like real estate is.

Additional Points to consider if you’re purchasing a Home for Personal Use.

Doesn’t Provide Any Cash Flow

An asset typically provides you with cash flow, i.e. puts cash in your pocket. When purchasing a home, cash only flows out (property taxes, repairs, etc.); some would argue that if it appreciates in value then it is an asset. In this instance it is only an asset when converted into cash and if that is the case, where will you live? Likely end up buying a new house, which has also gone up in value similar to your house.  This makes it difficult to realize the value of your personal home appreciation, which acts more like a liability than an asset since it takes cash out of your pocket instead of putting some in there.

Tax Deductibility of Interest

Interest expense paid due to bank loans taken to finance investment properties is deductable against income because the investor is pursuing income and tax legislation allows deduction of any expenses incurred in the pursuit of income. This is not the case for a mortgage taken out to purchase a house for personal use as the individual is not in the pursuit of income; thus, interest expense is paid with after tax dollars, with no tax shelter provided. If those funds had been borrowed to invest in equities or mutual funds, the interest would be deductable because again that would count towards the theme of pursuing income.

Can Get Personal Joy Out of It

Unlike equities and other alternative investments, the investor can’t personally use or get joy out of it as compared to purchasing a home, which the individual can live in and enjoy during the investment process. An investor who purchases shares in General Motors (GM) can’t exactly borrow and test drive cars whenever they please simply because they’re a part owner. This is a qualitative benefit that is difficult to quantify, but should be considered.

Where to go from here?

The main reason to purchase a house is to have somewhere to live and enjoy their life, don’t think of it as an investment. Buying a home isn’t a bad decision; it is the investor’s perception that may be tainted because it is important to realize that there are many arguments against a home as an investment to be considered. Don’t buy real estate property with the mindset that an individual can’t lose and that there is no better investment opportunity than to purchase a home, etc. Beware of conventional wisdom that states there is no better investment than purchasing a house.

THANKS,

SIMON GIANNAKIS

One way of making money by investing in real estate is through fixing and flipping houses. A fast flip is how many real estate investors start with, in order to make money quickly. After flipping a few houses, they try other real estate investing strategies, such as land lording or investing in properties like apartments. If you are considering employing this strategy for investing in real estate, then you need to know what kind of property to purchase.
You can make millions by converting ugly looking houses into attractive ones, but if you are inexperienced, there are chances you will lose money, purchasing houses that do not reap profits.
Listed below are some of the important factors you need to considered if you are planning on venturing into the real estate business by fixing and flipping houses:
. If you are planning to fix a house, make sure that you have enough credit or cash available to complete the project. You can even use rehab financing that will cover the costs of purchasing and remodeling.
. It is important for any investor to have an idea of how much a house will sell for once its fixed. Do some research and find out details about your chosen real estate market. Make a spreadsheet of several houses in order to determine which house will be profitable for you.
. Get a basic idea of how much the upgrades and repairs of the house will cost you. Learn how to estimate the material and labor costs. You can go to the local home improvement store and get the price list for the materials you will need.
. You need to know how to do the calculations. Compare the purchase price, labor, materials and the expected sales price and add in your closing costs, holding costs and the unexpected costs fund. Determine the house that offers the best profit and make several offers.
. Try to get the best financing for your situation. Decide whether you will use your own money, try rehab financing, or apply for an investment property loan. You can even talk to a loan officer or your bank for more options.
. Decide on how you want to go about finishing the work, and whom you would like to hire to do the repairing. You may want to make changes according to what your future buyers want, so learn which patterns, colors and features will bring the most profits, without spending extra money.
. Prepare an action plan so that you do not forget things, and start the repairs immediately. If you let the house sit after the closing costs, it will cost money everyday in terms of the mortgage and utilities.
. Make sure that you know how to sell a house to a qualified buyer.
If you are starting out in the real estate fixer enterprise then you may want to look for a house that needs only cosmetic work. Try to look for houses that only need painting, cleaning up and new flooring. Do not ignore houses that smell or look bad. Always remember that although these houses may not seem attractive, an intelligent investor can turn them into gold mines. You just need use your imagination and visualize the finished product, and the profit that it may bring. Fixing and flipping of houses can be more than a way to create wealth. You can also help to improve the neighborhood, and above all turning an ugly house into a dream house for a buyer can be great fun.