Really interesting thread. I can't speak to the real estate market as a whole but I've been flipping/rehabbing/investing in the Dallas area for 25 + years and feel as though I've been fairly successful.
After all I do own a 81 911 SC (
).
The proliferation of shows about flipping is amazing and I admit I do watch them, looking for ideas. However they are intended for entertainment and the real guts have been edited out . They make this business look pretty glamorous. It can be a lot of fun but it still involves much hard work.
Regardless of the market there are still deals around every corner.
Just like barn finds you have to be in the right place at the right time having done your homework and be capable of buying when that deal presents itself. For every project I purchase I figure I have chased down at least twenty others.
Some of the largest effects to the bottom line are how hard your willing to work at it. I do most of the repair and rehab myself with
a few key subs that I have come to rely on over the years. You have to work fast and the property must be perfect in every respect or the potential buyers will pick it to death.
I could write a book on this subject but my coffee has gotten cold!
Gotta get a refill.