Local to Birmingham — 20+ years as an appraiser, investor, & broker, & PM - all in this market.
Best advice I can give you coming from out of state: source your own deals. Don't buy off wholesalers or turnkey guys. They buy low & flip to OOS investors at or above retail on the 1% rule. If you ask people to bring you deals, they bring you what makes *them* money.
The other thing that'll kill a flip here is the back-end appraisal. Birmingham is block by block. One street hits your ARV, the next one won't. If an appraiser has to force the value, it won't happen.
Pull the address up on street view & drive the block from your computer before you get attached. Yards cut? Houses occupied? Tells you more than a pro forma.
Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
2mo
Hopefully someone chimes in! If there is any local FB groups I would join and ask in those. Also look for any listings that are remodels/flips and connect with the listing agent. When you speak to an agent or property manager always ask for referrals for the vendor you need, they often have relationships in place.
Hinton, WV · Member since 2026 · 131 posts · 40 votes
2mo
hey, finding the right partners in birmingham often comes once you start finding the right properties. for fix and flips, i'd recommend starting with your jefferson county public records online. pull lists of properties that have been owned for a long time, maybe 15 years or more, and then look for absentee owners in the specific zip codes you're interested in. these are often signs of potential motivation. finding a few good leads first will give you a solid foundation when you do reach out to agents and property managers, showing them you're serious and proactive.
Local to Birmingham — 20+ years as an appraiser, investor, & broker, & PM - all in this market.
Best advice I can give you coming from out of state: source your own deals. Don't buy off wholesalers or turnkey guys. They buy low & flip to OOS investors at or above retail on the 1% rule. If you ask people to bring you deals, they bring you what makes *them* money.
The other thing that'll kill a flip here is the back-end appraisal. Birmingham is block by block. One street hits your ARV, the next one won't. If an appraiser has to force the value, it won't happen.
Pull the address up on street view & drive the block from your computer before you get attached. Yards cut? Houses occupied? Tells you more than a pro forma.
Real Estate Broker · Member since 2024 · 125 posts · 60 votes
1d
@Tom Lanzano Birmingham fix and flip works when ARV and turn cost are street checked, not spreadsheet checked. Agents who only sell retail and PMs who only babysit turnkey both miss investor rehab handoffs. If you are buying to hold after the flip, lock the PM path before you close or you eat vacancy and punch list drama. Are you aiming for flip to sale, or flip to rental hold once stabilized?