Diary of The Bullet Hole House Flip

Diary of The Bullet Hole House Flip

Investor · Versailles, KY · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 167 votes

Hello! Thought I would take some time and start a deal diary on my Third Flip. Flip #1 was a success at 19k profit, flip #2 broke even (depressed about that but I'll get around to writing about it someday), and here we are at flip #3. I thought it would be fun to keep a deal diary to see the roller coaster that these projects can be and how plans can change. We are in escrow and should close this week or early next week (just waiting on verification of clear title). My other two flips were in Arizona. This one is in my hometown of Santa Barbara, CA. A weird and insanely priced market. For fun go on any realty website and look at the average cost of a 4/2 house. Regardless of price this is going to be a VERY basic STARTER home. Number breakdown:

Purchase price of $700,000 (Yes, for an unlivable house, insane).

$25,000 paid to the investor who found this deal and passed it on to me because he is too busy with bigger development projects.

Our closing costs should be a few grand, I will post as soon as we actually close. Lets ballpark and say it will be 2k.

Money will be borrowed at 9% from private lender (family member)

Sales cost on back end will be 5% to realtors. 

Hoping to sell the property for $899,000.

My dream timeline will be 6 weeks to get it on the market.

This will essentially be a lipstick rehab, which isn't my favorite thing. My investor (family member) is very anxious to get in and out of this property quickly and wants me to do the absolute minimal possible and throw it back on the market. I think we could get a higher price if I re-arranged the master bathroom, which would require knocking out a wall that connects to an oversized laundry, closing in a passage to the kitchen, and moving some plumbing around. I have experience with all of this, BUT I am respecting the request of my investor. Because I am borrowing from family that adds an extra level of complication and I need to respect that, and defer a little bit more to their expectations/requests than if I was financing on my own money (which is my goal, maybe after this project, obviously in a cheaper area). 

Despite being essentially 900k ARV, this is a STARTER home and I need to remember that. I plan on doing very basic finishes (either cheap bamboo floors that are on sale for .98/square foot or maybe even luxury vinyl at .75/square foot). I'm not even doing tile showers.

I will put in new cabinets (lillyann cabinets), appliances, and granite or marble counters.

A new roof will be going on.

New interior doors (bought online, pre-hung at $39/door, basic 6 panel)

New windows - cheapest bid so far for labor and materials is $6200 (including a large patio door, that is the most expensive) we are doing them to code, so that adds a cost.

Popcorn ceiling removal, a lot of drywall patches

New light fixtures, outlets, switches, updating some outlets to GFCI

new baseboards (.70/linear foot at home depot)

new plumbing fixtures

plumb for dishwasher

paint interior and exterior

tile on floor in bathrooms 

yard cleanup

Basic landscaping

Despite the "starter home" I will have the property fully staged. Santa Barbara is funny like that and I think it will really help get it sold quickly. Another change from my other flips is that I am actually working full time for this one. Luckily my husband has the morning off, so I am recruiting him to check the job in the AM and I am even having him meet some of the subs for bids. I have comprehensive lists I have typed out for him meeting each trade to get an accurate bid. I'll post a picture of that too. This being my third flip I am feeling pretty good going into it, and feel that my organization/planning skills are vastly improved from the early days. 

Now to the fun part, before pictures!

Yes, that is a bullet hole in the door

and that is the bullet in the window frame!

Should I keep the shower handles? Are they vintage or ultra modern?

A New Bathroom trend for sure.

So fresh and clean!

This is the master bathroom

I feel like the barefoot contessa in this gorgeous kitchen! lol ;)

Stove area

Backyard

Problem area in backyard

The car should be removed by the family by close of escrow (house is a probate sale thats been vacant for more than a year I guess).

I will post my cheklists later. So hopefully escrow closes soon and we'll see how this goes!

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Real Estate Broker · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
11y

It is nuts to me what you guys on the coasts have to deal with. I can't imagine even paying 75k for that. BUT you guys also have the option to make some SERIOUS $$$ on deals out there as well. The more you invest the higher return a few % can make you. 

See this reply in the discussion

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  • Real Estate Broker · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    11y

    It is nuts to me what you guys on the coasts have to deal with. I can't imagine even paying 75k for that. BUT you guys also have the option to make some SERIOUS $$$ on deals out there as well. The more you invest the higher return a few % can make you. 

  • Realtor / Investor · Chandler, AZ · Member since 2015 · 12 posts · 3 votes
    11y

    Greetings from AZ :) I can not believe this home is $700K!!!!! Who can afford entry level home at this price? Looks really run down. Good luck and please let us know how it ends!!! Power to you :)

  • Dawn AnastasiPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    11y

    @Alex Applebee wow.  Congrats on taking on such a project!  What's your budget?

  • Cave Creek, AZ · Member since 2015 · 51 posts · 13 votes
    11y

    Wow! How's the neighborhood?

  • Investor · Versailles, KY · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 167 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Dawn Anastasi:

    @Alex Applebee wow.  Congrats on taking on such a project!  What's your budget?

     I'm hoping to spend 40k on rehab but you know how it goes, always runs more. So lets say 60k. it will probably run me another 50k to sell it. So the numbers are big but it really isn't like a home run deal when you think of such a high dollar house. That's why I say the market is weird here. 

  • Investor · Versailles, KY · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 167 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Krista Walker:

    Wow! How's the neighborhood?

     Great school district, very cute neighborhood, standard 60's and 70's ranch houses. Nothing fancy. Comps range from 900's to 1.1 million. I wanted to aim for the high 900's and do a little nicer rehab, but as I said, having to consider my investor's wishes we are just making it basic and going for high 800's.

  • Linda WeygantPro Member
    Investor and CPA · Arvada, CO · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11y

    Can't wait to see what you do with this one.  Good luck!  (But I don't think you'll need it since you clearly have so much talent)

  • Investor · Versailles, KY · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 167 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Robert Szewczyk:

    Greetings from AZ :) I can not believe this home is $700K!!!!! Who can afford entry level home at this price? Looks really run down. Good luck and please let us know how it ends!!! Power to you :)

     Yes, it isn't even livable. That is why my husband and I are seriously considering moving back east when this is done. We want to have a house with some room for horses etc, and the starting point for that out here is in the 2 million range! I love santa barbara, but it is too expensive!

  • Developer · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 904 votes
    11y
    Does the roof really need to be replaced? What is the budget for that? I use either subway tiles or porcelain tiles that look like marble in the bathrooms. Lowes sells them for like $0.95/sq ft.
  • Investor · Versailles, KY · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 167 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Percy N.:

    Does the roof really need to be replaced? What is the budget for that?

    I use either subway tiles or porcelain tiles that look like marble in the bathrooms. Lowes sells them for like $0.95/sq ft.

     The roof has to be replaced, half of it is missing in the back. That will probably cost 5-6k Labor and materials. I usually get my floors from floor and decor. Check them out, cheapest flooring and tile i have found.

  • Sacramento, CA · Member since 2015 · 74 posts · 21 votes
    11y

    @Alex Applebee What sort of ARV discounts are you looking for when you buy in Santa Barbara? If ARV is $899,000 and you estimate $60,000 in rehab to be safe, then a "safe" purchase price of 70% of ARV minus rehab costs should be around $569,300. Do you mind also providing some insight into how you calculate your rehab costs? Did you have a GC do a walkthrough with you during the due diligence period?

    I'm new to REI and although I've read up on the concepts I understand things vary greatly from one market to the next. I'm very interested to see how thing flip goes and hear your insights. Best of luck!

  • Investor · Palm Desert, CA · Member since 2015 · 215 posts · 64 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Robert Szewczyk:

    Greetings from AZ :) I can not believe this home is $700K!!!!! Who can afford entry level home at this price? Looks really run down. Good luck and please let us know how it ends!!! Power to you :)

     "Run down"?? Made me chuckle, Robert. I think it's more like "run over" LOL Isn't it amazing how some people live... and in such an expensive and beautiful town as Santa Barbara.

  • Joel OwensBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    11y

    That's wild that the house is almost 900k on the cheap side when completed. City Data has median housing income for that area about 65,000 when national average is about 54,000. Says median gross rent is 1,432.

    The affordability index is off the charts. I live in GA and where I live median household is around 80k. The difference is the livability factor. Here you can get a 4 bed, 2.5 bath brick house sitting on 1/2 an acre that is about 2,400 sq ft interior livable space for about 200k.

    Good Luck with the flip. California is mainly an appreciation market soy our family member wants you to get in and out fast before the market cools off and their money is stuck. At that point the rent wouldn't cover the debt service.  

  • Real Estate Agent · LONG BEACH, CA · Member since 2014 · 209 posts · 43 votes
    11y

    @Alex Applebee

    Looking forward to seeing the finished project! Thanks for posting.

  • Investor · Versailles, KY · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 167 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Patricio P.:

    @Alex Applebee What sort of ARV discounts are you looking for when you buy in Santa Barbara? If ARV is $899,000 and you estimate $60,000 in rehab to be safe, then a "safe" purchase price of 70% of ARV minus rehab costs should be around $569,300. Do you mind also providing some insight into how you calculate your rehab costs? Did you have a GC do a walkthrough with you during the due diligence period?

    I'm new to REI and although I've read up on the concepts I understand things vary greatly from one market to the next. I'm very interested to see how thing flip goes and hear your insights. Best of luck!

    Hi! To clairfy 60 k and 899 are my "worst case scenario awful things happened" numbers. My ARV closed comps actually range around 889k for a house nearby on a busy road that is a fixer in better condition than this house but extremely dated and ugly with one less bedroom that really needs a full remodel, to a comp that has a better backyard, totally livable but sort of your 1990's special (lots of laminate counters, looks kinda like a motel 6) that sold for 1.1million. That is a big range but I feel safe at 899k for my "oh crap" number. 70% is a great guideline ESPECIALLY on cheaper homes, but even with my "oh crap" numbers I have around 50k profit. With construction costs out here being similar to what I paid in AZ (really!), I am comfortable breaking the 70% rule on that.

    For some background my first rehab I added a master bathroom, bedroom, breakfast nook into the existing footprint of a house and basically re-did everything but the roof and made lots of expensive mistakes along the way for 63k in construction costs. This rehab isn't nearlly as extensive.

    I am actually hoping to spend about 40k on rehab and put in on the market for 925k, which put me closer to 95k profit. Which if we look at how much it costs to even get into a rehab here isn't exactly a home run house. But it fell in my lap so I sure wasn't going to say no. 

    Having done 2 flips I know the general costs of most things by now. I don't use a general contractor, I sub everything out myself. If I have time tonight I will do a general breakdown of what I think my costs will be. 

  • Teacher · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2015 · 82 posts · 21 votes
    11y

    Ohh...challenging flip (to a novice like me)!  Looking forward to watching this!

  • Investor · Versailles, KY · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 167 votes
    11y
    Originally posted by @Joel Owens:

    That's wild that the house is almost 900k on the cheap side when completed. City Data has median housing income for that area about 65,000 when national average is about 54,000. Says median gross rent is 1,432.

    The affordability index is off the charts. I live in GA and where I live median household is around 80k. The difference is the livability factor. Here you can get a 4 bed, 2.5 bath brick house sitting on 1/2 an acre that is about 2,400 sq ft interior livable space for about 200k.

    Good Luck with the flip. California is mainly an appreciation market soy our family member wants you to get in and out fast before the market cools off and their money is stuck. At that point the rent wouldn't cover the debt service.  

     Those median gross rents are super low. My husband is working as a property manager with Towbes Group out here at one of their complexes (multi-family) and their smallest 700 square ft units rent for $2900/month. For your basic apartment. $1400 might rent you a room somewhere. It is insane!! And even with the rents it really isn't a great place to be a landlord unless you bought the place in the 90's or before. My husband and I are going to go out and look at lexington, ky. Much more affordable it seems and maybe we can afford to fund our own flips and do more houses. We'll see.

    No debt service on the property (except for what I pay to borrow the money from him) but he still wants in and out, understandably. 

  • Birmingham, AL · Member since 2012 · 115 posts · 28 votes
    11y

    @Alex Applebee I can't wait to see the after pictures as well! You sound like you really know what you're doing and I hope you knock it out of the park on your third flip!

    How did you come across this house? Was it a probate mailing campaign you had or some other way?

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2014 · 461 posts · 262 votes
    11y

    Thanks for sharing the details @Alex Applebee. Count me in as rooting for you to be really successful on this third flip of yours. I'm currently about halfway done on my second flip. My first one was breakeven (grrr!) but it was a great education. 

    I, like you, am conservative with my repair costs and comps. This has lost me properties that I have made offers on in the past and didn't get however I'm not willing to settle for low margins. Lots of other flippers here are willing to do that though (90% of ARV minus costs type of stuff).

    I'm looking forward to updates as the project moves along. 

  • Investor · Colorado Springs , CO · Member since 2013 · 77 posts · 22 votes
    11y

    This is amazing. I love hearing prices like this. It just shocking to brain the price differences across America. 

  • Jo-Ann LapinPro Member
    Loan Officer · Tustin, CA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 713 votes
    11y

    Can't wait to the after pictures. Congrats on getting the deal. Must be nice to be on the 3rd one and hopefully you get to use the same vendors to do  the work!

  • Sherman Oaks, CA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    11y

    @Alex Applebee Congrats sounds like a winner. 

    @Joel Owens The value in many of these sfrs is the hood/schools and the actual dirt. The actual home is almost secondary in some ways. That would rent for way more than $1400 btw. When the homes are in this price range your new buyers income is generally over 200k vs city data median. These are 99% owner occupied hoods, with virtually zero vacancies. This is a classic upper middle class Cali coast example. These new buyers will likely be lining up to get in that hood for under 900k. It would be hard to compare to anywhere else except places like Palos Verdes, Malibu and La Jolla...and that is about it on the entire planet earth.

  • Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 710 posts · 200 votes
    11y

    @Alex Applebee

    May want to reconsider the basic finishes approach.  I would chase your $1.1M comp. 

    Also good reason to get your RE License so you can save on selling commission

  • Santa Barbara, CA · Member since 2015 · 75 posts · 17 votes
    11y

    Hello Alex,

    You should check out Patricio's comment.  I have had contractors bid for rehab work on similar properties in Santa Barbara.  I would be very surprised if you can get it decently rehabbed for only $60,000.  According to the information you provided, you are hoping to find a buyer willing to spend nearly 1 million dollars on a relatively low-quality rehab.  This way of thinking is typical in Santa Barbara, but be careful.  Such a buyer may not materialize, and your numbers are so tight that a loss is quite possible.  The investor who rehabbed the unlivable property at 417 W. Canon Perdido asked $750,000, but after many months finally sold for $585,000, and this after rejecting a significantly higher offer (however nowhere near the $750,000 original list price).

    As Joel Owens points out, many "investors" in Santa Barbara believe the profit is in the appreciation.  However, nearly every experienced investor advises that it is folly to pay too much and count on appreciation.  

    In Santa Barbara, these appreciation investors pay too much to acquire and thereby create unreasonable comps that make it difficult for a buy-and-hold investor to acquire the property and do a nice quality, sturdy and durable rehab for a reasonable price, let alone a bargain price.

  • Santa Barbara, CA · Member since 2015 · 75 posts · 17 votes
    11y

    Hello Matt,

    You wrote "When the homes are in this price range your new buyers income is generally over 200k vs city data median. These are 99% owner occupied hoods, with virtually zero vacancies." The neighborhoods in Santa Barbara are not owner-occupied.  75% of the downtown residents rent.  Outside downtown, the rental rate is lower but does not go much below 50%.  It is true that there is near zero vacancy. Anybody who buys this house at the price Alex is hoping for will not likely be living in the house because anybody who makes $200K will probably have higher standards for the rehab that what she is planning to do.  The buyer will most likely be an out-of-area investor who puts the property on the rental market at a loss and hopes any gain will come through appreciation.

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