FLIP: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit [Paperback]

Rick Villani (Author), Clay Davis (Author), Gary Keller (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 19, 2006

FLIP, the third book in the National Bestselling Millionaire Real Estate Series (More than 500,000 copies sold!)

FLIP provides a detailed, step-by-step process to analyze each investment, identify the best improvements, accurately estimate the costs and intelligently oversee the construction. It takes out all the guess work and almost all of the risk.

Here's what industry experts are saying about FLIP:

"Read this book before you flip that house! FLIP is an indispensable step-by-step guide to flipping houses that you will refer to again and again."-Carlos Ortiz, Executive Producer, "FLIP That House" (TLC's most popular real estate TV show)

"At HomeVestors, we're in the business of buying and selling homes for profit and I can attest that there are few, if any, who can rival Rick's and Clay's expertise when it comes to fixing up houses for profit. This book is a must-read for any investor."-Dr. John Hayes, President and CEO of HomeVestors of America (the largest homebuyer in America)

"FLIP is a must-read book for everyone in the real estate business. Every agent should have this book. They should read it and master its contents. Why? Because it is the best guide ever written on how to evaluate real estate and how to add value to a house."-Gary Keller, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Keller Williams Realty International and author of bestselling The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and The Millionaire Real Estate Investor

"For anyone looking to build wealth in real estate, FLIP provides a step-by-step approach that really works in any market."-Loral Langemeier, bestselling author of The Millionaire Maker

FLIP extends the national bestselling Millionaire Real Estate series with a step-by-step guide that is quickly becoming "the model" for successfully finding, fixing and selling investment properties for profit.

Based on their involvement in over a 1,000 flips, Rick Villani and Clay Davis walk you through the proven five-stage model for successfully flipping a house:

1. FIND: How to select ideal neighborhoods, attract sellers, and find houses with investment potential
2. ANALYZE: Identify which improvements to make and analyze the profit potential of any house
3. BUY: How to arrange financing, present the offer, and close on the purchase
4. FIX: A 50-step, easy-to-follow plan for fixing up houses that keeps you on time, in budget and assures top quality
5. SELL: How to add finishing touches to quickly sell for maximum profit

Woven through the book is an entertaining narrative that follows the flipping adventures of Samantha, Ed, Bill, Nancy, Amy and Mitch as they find, buy, fix and sell their first investment houses. With all this plus the experience of over a thousand flips condensed into one book, FLIP gives new investors the tools they need to avoid common pitfalls, make a profit, and enjoy the process of house flipping.

Rick Villani and Clay Davis are senior executives at HomeFixers, North America's leading real estate rehab franchise. HomeFixers has been involved in more than 1,000 flips nationwide.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rick Villani and Clay Davis are senior executives at HomeFixers, North America’s leading real estate rehab franchise.

Product Details

• Paperback: 394 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1st edition (December 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071486100
• ISBN-13: 978-0071486101
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.1 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Business & Investing > Real Estate > Buying & Selling Homes
  • #6 in Books > Business & Investing > Real Estate > Investments
  • #68 in Books > Business & Investing > Popular Economics

More About the Author

Rick Villani is a senior executive at HomeFixers, North America's leading real estate rehab franchise.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a GREAT real estate investment book February 19, 2007

By Ida Jones

Format:Paperback

What I find so helpful about this book, and I have read a lot of them, is the logical way in which the authors divide all aspects of real estate investing. They have experience, they have the data, and they present it so well. I have been investing for a few years, and this book not only sums up much of what I have learned, but it really has taught me things I didn't know. It has made me think about my business in a smarter way. They don't promote a get-rich-quick scheme. This is hard work. They present the business in an honest way.

95 of 100 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't FLIP Without This Book! February 16, 2007

By James R. Brown

Format:Paperback

I am a 28 year licensed real estate veteren and can honestly say that I learned a great deal about not only buying and fixing homes for profit but buying homes in general when it comes to homes needing repairs. This book is exceptional. It builds a model to follow if you want to consider investing in properties that need repair. It is simply the best "how to" book on any subject I have ever read. The book can save you a great deal of time, money and heartache if this is a subject you would like to pursue or even if you have already engaged in flipping properties. No investment is fool proof meaning even if you are knowledgeable you can still make mistakes. FLIP clearly demonstrates and shows you how to avoid as many problems as possible and more importantly when to say NO to what might at first appear to be a good opportunity. I could not recommend a book more than FLIP!

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A DEFINITE READ for Investors and Professional Real Estate Consultants February 6, 2007

By Donna C. Lloyd

Format:Paperback

As a Certified Residential Specialist from Fayetteville, North Carolina, I am constantly exposing myself to every kind of training and am constantly reading about the real estate industry so I may be best prepared to serve my clients. I have been watching for this book for weeks and was so excited when I finally found it. WOW! I couldn't put it down.

This is such a well written, practical and informative resource on the processes of flipping. It could easily be named - FLIP- THE REALITY CHECK. There is certainly a method that makes the process of rehabing and reselling a home a financial success. This book really educates the layperson about the importance of making buying decisions based on information gathered through predetermined systems and processes rather than on emotion. Valuable!

FLIP also clearly communicates the power of good advocacy which I hugely appreciated and agree with. I see some people who discount the enormous value that Realtors and other professionals bring to the success of real estate processes. This writer GETS IT!

From A-Z, this is a grand guide. Through the use of personal stories it is easy to "feel" the temptations to make rush decisions not solidly based on factual evaluation and profit projections and, through the stories the reader could get a little taste of the frustrations, fears and celebrations that are part of the challenge. The stories make it clear that stuff just happens and there is no perfect purchase that yields only great returns with no surprises. That prepares the reader to know it's just a part of the ride and there is not an unreasonable expectation that their attempts have to be perfect all the time. Looking at multiple investor stories, the reader also learns that there's more than one way to hit a home run. The "Lessons Learned" and the "Successes Celebrated" are both parts of the Real Estate adventure I love and they were well portrayed.

I was most appreciative of the generous sharing of forms already prepared which I will use in assisting clients evalutate personal purchases and also use for my own personal investments. I'm ready to Flip one for Donna!

I just had a consultation this afternoon with an investor client and felt I was able to perform at a caliber that was way above what I would have known just days ago. He left with his homework- one of the first steps of which was to buy and read FLIP. We are both going to be informed and well prepared and successful! What a team we will be!

I encourage seasoned or potential investors and especially my peers in the Real Estate industry to buy FLIP and read it today! Thanks for a great job in producing a great resource that will open doors for increasing wealth through real estate to many.