Flip and Grow Rich | Turning Deals, Ideas, and Assets Into Profit

Updated Dec 6, 2025 Every Thanksgiving, while the turkey slowly cooks and the house fills with that unmistakable holiday aroma, my mind wanders to an odd comparison: How does the time and cost of cooking a turkey stack up against flipping a house? It sounds ridiculous at first—but stay with me. The answer reveals a surprisingly good lesson about labor, profit, and the hidden economics behind flipping anything, whether it’s poultry or property. The True Cost of a Thanksgiving Turkey Let’s start with the basics. A typical 20-pound turkey often costs somewhere between $20 and $50. For the sake of simplicity (because I love clean, round numbers), let’s assume: $20 turkey weighing 20 pounds Feeds 20 people at roughly $1 per person For pure calories per dollar, turkey is an incredible deal—especially compared to beef, seafood, or even some plant-based options. From a raw cost standpoint, Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most economical meals you can serve a crowd. B...

In the Washington Post article, " The art and science of flipping a fixer-upper " a good argument can be made for diving deep into the things that make flipping a success. The article focuses on a major tenet of flipping, starting with an underdog, and ending with a star. Doing what most people would find difficult, flippers will often take a house that seems to be the worst on the block, written off by most, and with some simple but needed upgrades, increase the value dramatically.

I recently read an article from NPR that was written back in May. They discussed flipping and how it's back. I didn't actually know that it had gone away, but none the less, the article goes on to talk about a house in LA that was purchased for $390,000 and then sold for $720,000. The article didn't discuss any improvements that might have been made to the home, something that usually comes with the territory. I know that the easy flip is rare, usually you have to deal with all sorts of issues. Demo, remodel, nasty stuff left behind. Heck, some of the nasty stuff alone can cost a pretty penny when an outside firm is contracted to deal with the cleanup. I once met a flipper who had to deal with rotting food left behind by a family that wanted to make the house uninhabitable for the next tenant. Why do people do such things? Read the NPR Article. What are your flip horror stories?

Can investors successfully flip real estate in these trying times? Has the economy turned around? The answers may not be as simple as you think. In the second half of the year, markets have been shifting. Most experts agree, that with low rates, and inventory going quickly, that there's definitely a lot of energy picking up in the real estate market. I recently spoke to a local realtor in the Silicon Valley area, and he told me that more and more investors are paying cash for properties, and paying well above asking prices. This might be a good indicator that those who bought awhile ago, are now flipping their purchases to the highest bidder. What these current purchasers intend to do, I do not know. Many are also saying that this is just another bubble and will burst soon. So why tie up so much capital into real estate thats in an upswing? Do you agree? What are your thoughts on the current market, and the direction its heading toward?

Lately, people have been asking me about organization and productivity tools to use when flipping and dealing with real estate. I've begun this post as a way to share some of those tools with you. Toodledo.com is my favorite (FREE!) easy to use, web based todo list management tool. It really helps you track of all your tasks and avoid disorganization, Track properties to check up on, projects, etc. I personally use the web version for my PC and the iPhone and iPad versions when on the go.

According to an article in the Baltimore Sun, flipping real estate for profit has a pretty bad reputation in Baltimore. For those of you thinking to get into the business of flipping real estate, read as much as you can about these types of behaviors and avoid them at all costs! Learn from other peoples mistakes. The problem stems from properties sold for huge profits within a day, which is an indicator to a problem. Fraudulent documentation is one issue cited by the article, in addition to flopping which is when a property is devalued then resold at a higher price. This can show a fake profit. Beware of scams like these, and read the article to learn more!

Some may be asking themselves, can I really flip and grow rich in this economy? Well it's not an easy question to answer. While there is lots of money to be made in this current climate. There is certainly lots of money to be lost as well. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, mortgage rates are reportedly declining, a prime time to buy property. Money is cheap! However, it would also seem than banks are being more difficult to get money out of, so what's a flipper to do? Even Donald Trump is having difficulty in this market, with his Chicago condos, buyers are not following through on contracts. Remember to do your homework, look at every deal carefully, and ensure contracts are in order. Look for the best deal, for example RealtyTrac offers a nice forclosure search on their website.