New Investor interested in flipping

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New Investor interested in flipping

Eli Joffe
Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 16 votes

I’m a 22 year old newer investor interested in learning how to flip houses in Cincinnati. I already have my first long term rental but I’m looking to start making more immediate income with flipping. I’m open to shadowing, working on job sites, or anything else related to flipping.  Are there any mentors or people that could help? Thank you.

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Blake Ferguson
Property Manager · Nashville, TN · Member since 2020 · 10 posts · 3 votes
2mo

Best of luck to you. Cincinnati is a great market to get started in. My dad flipped houses there for decades and what I can see it is still affordable and profitable. The short term cash payoffs from flips are great, but always consider if a specific property could also be considered a long-term rental that could have an even bigger payoff for you in the future. 

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  • Blake Ferguson
    Property Manager · Nashville, TN · Member since 2020 · 10 posts · 3 votes
    2mo

    Best of luck to you. Cincinnati is a great market to get started in. My dad flipped houses there for decades and what I can see it is still affordable and profitable. The short term cash payoffs from flips are great, but always consider if a specific property could also be considered a long-term rental that could have an even bigger payoff for you in the future. 

    1Reply
  • Caleb Brown
    Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    2mo

    I'd start attending local REI meetups, join investor Facebook groups, and go to networking events. Let people know you're willing to help on job sites or shadow on walkthroughs. Active investors are busy so don't be surprised if some turn you down.

    0Reply
  • Garrett CrosbyPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Los Angeles, United States · Member since 2021 · 392 posts · 162 votes
    2mo

    Eli, love the attitude - being willing to shadow and work on job sites is exactly the right mindset to learn flipping. That hands-on experience is worth more than any course.

    I've done flips myself and here's what I'd tell a 22-year-old starting out:

    Your biggest advantage right now is time and low overhead. You can afford to take on lower-margin deals just to learn. The first flip is really about education - you're paying for experience as much as profit.

    The most critical skill to develop early: accurate scope of work and rehab budgets. Most people underestimate costs on their first few flips. Walk properties with an experienced contractor before you ever make an offer. Get a line-item estimate, not a ballpark. This is where most new flippers lose money.

    Also - since you already have a rental, you understand holding costs. On a flip, every month you hold is money out of your pocket (financing, insurance, utilities, taxes). Speed matters. Plan your scope before you close, have your contractor lined up and ready, and move fast.

    Shadowing a flipper or working on a job site like you're offering is a great way in. General contractors, real estate agents who specialize in investors, and local REIA groups are your best bet for finding those connections in Cincinnati. Keep showing up, be useful, and people will want to help you.

    [email protected]
    1Reply
  • Kerlous TadresBusiness Member
    Realtor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    2mo

    Honestly, the fastest way to learn flipping is to find a local investor who's actively doing deals and offer to work for free, even just helping manage the job site or doing contractor coordination. I'd recommend showing up to local REIA events because that's where the active flippers are, and most of them will take on someone hungry who just wants to learn.

    [email protected]614-490-1163
    Kerlous Tadres | Reafco Real Estate539 Reviews
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    0Reply
  • Alfath AhmedBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    2mo
    Quote from @Eli Joffe:

    I’m a 22 year old newer investor interested in learning how to flip houses in Cincinnati. I already have my first long term rental but I’m looking to start making more immediate income with flipping. I’m open to shadowing, working on job sites, or anything else related to flipping.  Are there any mentors or people that could help? Thank you.


     Are you based out of cinci? That is the only reason i would recommend it. Otherwise, better to flip in cbus or cleveland in my opinion. More demand and economic bases for growth. 

    [email protected]614-802-5698
    ReafCo | Ahmed Group 55 Reviews
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    1Reply
  • Eli Joffe
    OP
    Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 16 votes
    2mo

    Yes, I’m based in cincy 

    1Reply
  • Georgii Grigoriants
    Real Estate Consultant · Member since 2025 · 133 posts · 84 votes
    2mo

    You're already ahead of a lot of people because you own a rental at 22.

    One suggestion: don't just look for a mentor—look for a repeatable system.

    Spend time with people who are consistently buying, renovating, and selling multiple properties each year. Watch how they estimate rehab costs, manage contractors, schedule inspections, control holding costs, and make decisions under pressure.

    The biggest lesson usually isn't how to swing a hammer. It's learning how experienced investors avoid losing money before they ever make an offer.

    Learning one successful flip is helpful. Learning a repeatable process is what builds a business.

    0Reply
  • Jeff Roth
    Real Estate Consultant · Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2022 · 461 posts · 250 votes
    2mo

    Hi Eli from Cincinnati, Ohio-

    Congratulations! You are 22 years old and interested in learning how to flip houses in Cincinnati and finding a mentor.

    I would look for a group for real estate investors in your area that meets in real life or online in a group like a Facebook page and look for people doing that work in Cincinnati and reach out to them directly with your offer or just posting that you are willing to work to learn and help to the group. An investor friendly Realtor can be another good resource in the area and they can help connect you with active flippers and people to help you with deal flow like wholesalers and get on their buyer list.

    You will want to look for other members of your team like private money and hard money lenders, contractors, insurance, and so on.

    The biggest things with flipping are deal flow and analyzing deals for profitability conservatively.

    To your success!

    1Reply
  • Jenna Fawley
    Lender · Pickerington, OH · Member since 2026 · 49 posts · 39 votes
    2mo

    Welcome! Cincinnati is a great market to get started, and BiggerPockets is a great place to make those connections. Wishing you the best! I hope you find a solid mentor and can’t wait to see you post your first deal!

    1Reply
  • Robin SimonBusiness Member
    Lender · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    2mo
    Quote from @Eli Joffe:

    I’m a 22 year old newer investor interested in learning how to flip houses in Cincinnati. I already have my first long term rental but I’m looking to start making more immediate income with flipping. I’m open to shadowing, working on job sites, or anything else related to flipping.  Are there any mentors or people that could help? Thank you.


    Welcome to BP - any reason you didn't mention BRRRR? With your experience and situation, best bet I'd think is to use the approach where each deal could be a flip or BRRRR depending on the market/bids once finished, don't need to lock yourself in to one strategy at beginning of the approach

    [email protected]
    Harpoon Capital514 Reviews
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    0Reply
  • Min ZhangBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    2mo

    Hey Eli, congrats on getting your first rental, especially at 22.

    It sounds like you're taking the right approach by wanting to get around people who are actively flipping. There's a lot you can learn just by being on job sites and seeing how experienced investors run their projects.

    Cincinnati has a pretty active investing community, so hopefully you can connect with a few local flippers. Are you looking to focus on cosmetic flips, or are you interested in full gut rehabs too?

    [email protected]614-412-2912
    Reafco.512 Reviews
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