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The Truth about Flipping Real Estate

The LA Times has an interesting article on real estate flipping shows such as "Flip this House". Meg James writes about the euphoria of "flip and grow rich", or getting something for next to nothing.

Meg runs through the various shows on television such as "Property Ladder", "Flip that House", "Flip this house", and others. Correlating popularity of the shows with rising house prices, Meg does an excellent job in looking at the big picture. These shows are there to make money. The outcome of the flip highlighted on TV is not as important as attracting viewers.

Now, as the real estate market seems to be cooling off, so are the ratings. It might stand to reason that those who once made a decent living flipping property must now pursue other income strategies, such as selling courses and ebooks online. We have certainly talked about them in the past and there are countless websites and forums talking about courses, materials, and related products.

Is there really "Free Money" out there in real estate? The truth seems to be no, its an investment just like any other. The more you put in, the more of a return you get, and the more risk you incur. Think before you leap, and don't risk anything you aren't willing to lose.

Be sure to read Home Shows See need to Retool by Meg James of the LA Times.
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