Article / Updated 03-08-2017
A key first step to profiting from a flip is not to pay too much for a house. When deciding how much to pay, estimate the amount you can reasonably sell the house for after fixing it up, and then subtract your expected costs, which include the following:
Purchase price
Cost of repairs and renovations
Any back taxes due on the property
Holding costs (property taxes, utilities, insurance, interest payments, homeowner association fees, and so on for the time you expect it will take to buy, fix, and sell the house)
Any agent commissions and closing costs when selling the house
Aim to earn at least a 20 percent profit after subtracting all costs.