Bidding on Fix and Flip Investment Properties

Three Key Rules to Follow to Outbid Your Competitors

Putting together a bid on a fix and flip property requires a detailed plan with in-depth knowledge of a property and access to fast, reliable funding. In a competitive real estate market, it is likely that there will be multiple bids on any given property, especially properties with value-add rehab opportunities, so it is critical to be able to make a strong, competitive bid that will give you an advantage over other investors who are looking to buy the same property. The stronger your bid, the more likely the seller will accept your offer.

As you plan the bid for your next real estate investment, what are some of the options you’ll need to consider before making an offer, and what will you need in order to make an offer that will help you outbid your competition and land your next fix and flip property?

Before Bidding on Your Next Fix and Flip Property

1) Obtain a Letter of Pre-Approval

One of the first things you’ll need to make a strong bid on an investment property is a letter of pre-approval. A letter of pre-approval is from your lender and shows that you will be able to meet the qualifications necessary to acquire a loan for a fix and flip property. Things that your lender will consider when issuing a letter of pre-approval are your credit score, the amount of cash on hand that you have, and if you have had any late payments, delinquencies, or bankruptcies.

It is also important to have a pre-approval letter in hand when making a bid on a property to help speed up the closing process. If you show that you have the financing needed and can close quickly on a property, the more willing a seller will be to accept your offer over the other offers that they have on the table.

2) Know Your Margins

Before you make an offer on a fix and flip, you need to know if the property will be worth the investment. It’s important to have a good understanding of what kind of ROI the property will yield. Knowing your return on investment will help you determine what you are willing to offer on the property.

To accomplish this, you will need to ensure that your margins are not too thin after renovating the property and flipping it, and you’ll be able to turn a profit on the investment. If you find a property that you believe will require more rehab than you feel comfortable putting into it, there is nothing wrong with walking away. Finding the best investment property can take time. Once you know a deal makes sense, you can start preparing your bid.

3) Access to Fast, Reliable Funding

A final key aspect of making a strong bid on any investment property is your ability to offer a fast closing to the seller. To do this, you will need to find a private hard money lender who can underwrite you as the borrower to close on the deal. This lender will also need to be fully capitalized to ensure that the funds for the deal will be readily available when you get to the closing table.

For example, if you offer to close on a property in 7-10 business days versus another investor who can only offer to close in a month, it automatically puts you at an advantage over that competing investor. Being able to confidently say that you have the financing to close on the deal and close it quickly can be the deciding factor for a seller to accept your bid. It’s also important that the lender of your investment property loan can have the capital ready at closing. You don’t want to be at the closing table and have the lender scrambling to find the necessary funds to complete the deal.