A property can look like a great investment on paper...until the timeline starts to get stretched. A flip projected to take 5 months turns into 8. Renovations run behind schedule, permits take longer than expected, the property sits on market for longer than you thought it would. Meanwhile interest, insurances, taxes, utilities, and other holding costs are adding up. These things happen.

I've been trying to pay more attention to this when looking at investment properties around Atlanta. A $60K projected profit can start to look a lot different when you're carrying the property for an extra three months. It's made me realize that the timeline deserves as much attention as the purchase price and rehab budget.

Question for seasoned investors: How much cushion do ya'll typically build into your projected holding periods?