Don't you wish someone could tell you all the mistakes you need to avoid before you actually make them?
I recently sat down with my former coaching student, and now Head Coach of SREC, Kyle Garifo, to reflect on some of the mistakes and challenges that we faced investing in real estate and flipping investment properties.
We started discussing the good, the bad and the REALLY ugly things and we were able to compile this list of 10 big mistakes real estate investors make that can kill profits, which will hopefully help you be able to AVOID making them!
Here are those 10 mistakes again:
Mistake #1: Poor Planning
When you make an offer on a house and it gets accepted and you put down your earnest money, you’re probably going to have about 2-4 weeks in between until you actually close on the property. Everything from budgets, schedules and Scopes of Work should be in place.
Mistake #2: Missing the ARV
Figuring out what the correct After Repair Value (ARV) of your property is KEY. You need to figure out what sets your property apart from the other houses in the neighborhood – whether it’s got neighbors in the backyard or it’s wooded, the size of the lot, the finishes and fixtures, etc.
Mistake #3: Under Budgeting Property Repairs
It’s SO important to make sure that your contractor is on the same page as you are right from the start. You need to make sure that the product you are putting on the market is consistent with the neighborhood.
Mistake #4: Add-in's
After you have put together your schedule, your Scope of Work and your budge, and you’ve started demo is NOT the time to decide you want to move walls around. If you decide you are going to move walls, that needs to be decided BEFORE you have finished your plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, etc.
Mistake #5: Financing Costs
Sometimes I see when students put together their budget, they don’t factor in interest costs, paying points or paying for appraisals. They look at it like, “I’m going to buy $100,000, put $20,000 and sell it for $180,000, so that’s $60,000 in profit.”
Well, NOT REALLY.
You have to factor in your closing costs and financing costs, it eats into that $60,000.
Mistake #6: Holding Costs
This is another big mistake that newer investors make that can eat into your profits. This includes insurance, utilities, property taxes, etc.
Mistake #7: Contractors Missing Days on the Job
This is a very important thing to keep in mind – most of the time, your contractor is NOT working JUST for you, so you will constantly be fighting a battle to get them to dedicate the time to your project. Setting expectations with your contractor is very important so you don’t get behind on your schedule.
Mistake #8: Markup on Materials
It’s incredibly important to find a contractor who will estimate the cost of materials and have a clear understanding of your budget and how much you want to spend to avoid markups. Just starting out as a new investor, it might take a few
Mistake #9: Buyer Withdrawal
What happens when you did an incredible job on your rehab, you list your property and it sells quickly, but then, your buyer flakes out?
People think when they get their property under contract, they are good to go and start dreaming about their profit money. DON’T make this mistake!
Mistake #9: Not Selling Your Property Quick Enough
You put a good property on the market, so it should sell itself and it SHOULD sell quickly. But sometimes, properties just don’t sell as fast as you expect them to. Days on market can kill a property. Make sure that when you go to sell, you are hiring an experienced, elite realtor who has been around for a while and has a great marketing plan of action.
Mistakes Happen
Trust me, I know better than anyone that mistakes will happen regardless, especially if you are a newer investor just starting out. The biggest thing is to TRY and not to make the mistakes that cost you money. Every extra day that your rehab goes longer than planned, that’s costing you money.
Real estate investing is not as easy as they make it look on HGTV – that’s why having the proper coach or a mentor helps you avoid mistakes like these.
If you are thinking about getting started in investing but maybe just want to dip your toe in, why not try it as a "side hustle?"
Get my free cheat sheet for 5 SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE REAL ESTATE INVESTING YOUR SIDE HUSTLE: HOW TO INVEST IN REAL ESTATE PART TIME
Be Daring
Josh
CEO Strategic Real Estate Coach
CEO Freeland Ventures and Freeland Lending
CEO Yellow Jacket Properties
Your program sounds well thought out and interesting....robm
Great tips. Thank you and I have a few properties in Detroit I want to purchsss.
Great insights, & tips, its worth sharing
Good helpful information. Thank you for sharing
I have learned a lot from this article. very informative! Thanks so much for the tips.
Nice post! Great strategy and the points you mentioned here. These points must be followed by everyone before investing in nay property. Thanks for sharing this awesome post.
Very helpful, appreciate the good article. Reading more now!