Investment Info:

Single-family residence fix & flip investment.

Purchase price: $128,000
Cash invested: $1
Sale price: $201,000

This was a short sale. The house had been purchased as a newly built home for $299,900 in 2006. I negotiated a short sale purchase price of $128,000. I borrowed $160,000 from a busy business owner. I purchased the property with the borrowed money, and then I spent $15,000 of that money on the renovations. I waited 91 days before putting the house back on the market, so as to stay compliant with the FHA Anti-Flipping rule since I sensed we could attract FHA buyers. I hired a home stager for $1,000. I paid our Realtor 7% commission, telling her to offer 4% to the buyer agent. Indeed, the ultimate buyer was an FHA borrower who offered above the asking price. All told, I paid the cash investor $170,000 ($160,000 + $10,000 interest to him). I invested none of my own money. I spent only $15,000 on upgrades.

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

Since I was negotiating hundreds of short sales, the sellers and their agent came to me to ask for help.

How did you finance this deal?

I borrowed $160,000 from a busy business owner. I paid him back the $160,000 plus $10,000 in interest only five months later.

How did you add value to the deal?

I got the remaining debt forgiven for the sellers, and they did not owe any taxes on the forgiven debt. I purchased the house from them, improved it, paid the agents generously, and increased the values in the neighborhood.

What was the outcome?

I made money in five months by spending no money of my own.