The 14 Best Places to Flip a House

Published

June 13, 2014

Christine DiGangi is the former Deputy Managing Editor - Engagement for Credit.com and covered a variety of personal finance topics. Her writing has been featured on USA Today, MSN, Yahoo! Finance and The New York Times International Weekly, among other outlets.

For people who like a serious project, house flipping can be quite the money maker. In some parts of the country, flippers see hefty profits from their investments, selling their properties for well over 30% more than they paid for it, according to new data from real estate company RealtyTrac.

The best counties for flipping are concentrated along the East Coast, but it’s a popular practice across the country. If you’re interested in snagging an inexpensive home and selling it for significantly more than you paid for it, RealtyTrac came up with a list of counties with the best opportunities.

Where to Cash In

In order to be considered a good place to flip, the county had to have at least 100 single-family homes flipped between April 2013 and March 2014, the flips had to have at least a 30% return on investment, unemployment had to be below the national average of 6.7% in March and have an increase in foreclosure activity in the first quarter of 2014, compared to the same time a year ago. A higher foreclosure inventory increases investors’ opportunities to flip.

14. Middlesex County, N.J.
Average purchase price of flips: $200,015
Average sale price of flips: $264,742
Average ROI: 32.36%

13. Nassau County, N.Y.
Average purchase price of flips: $316,060
Average sale price of flips: $422,858
Average ROI: 33.79%

12. Monroe County, Fla.
Average purchase price of flips: $311,701
Average sale price of flips: $429,564
Average ROI: 37.81%

11. Berks County, Pa.
Average purchase price of flips: $117,846
Average sale price of flips: $162,774
Average ROI: 38.12%

10. Montgomery County, Md.
Average purchase price of flips: $347,682
Average sale price of flips: $482,969
Average ROI: 38.91%

9. Bergen County, N.J.
Average purchase price of flips: $320,010
Average sale price of flips: $450,492
Average ROI: 40.77%

8. Wright County, Minn.
Average purchase price of flips: $105,058
Average sale price of flips: $152,563
Average ROI: 45.22%

7. Anne Arundel County, Md.
Average purchase price of flips: $197,355
Average sale price of flips: $291,243
Average ROI: 47.57%

6. Saint Marys County, Md.
Average purchase price of flips: $180,411
Average sale price of flips: $268,254
Average ROI: 48.69%

5. New Castle County, Del.
Average purchase price of flips: $127,795
Average sale price of flips: $195,246
Average ROI: 52.78%

4. Campbell County, Ky.
Average purchase price of flips: $75,253
Average sale price of flips: $127,848
Average ROI: 69.89%

3. Baltimore County, Md.
Average purchase price of flips: $131,186
Average sale price of flips: $224,089
Average ROI: 70.82%

2. York County, Pa.
Average purchase price of flips: $88,063
Average sale price of flips: $151,871
Average ROI: 72.46%

1. Prince George’s County, Md.
Average purchase price of flips: $125,011
Average sale price of flips: $229,275
Average ROI: 83.4%

There are plenty of counties with a higher average ROI on flips than some of the ones listed above, but those locations generally had a sharp decline in foreclosure inventory from 2013 to 2014, so there’s less of an opportunity to make a profitable investment.

Whether you’re flipping or house shopping in a traditional sense, you need to have a good understanding of buying a home and how to get a good price on it (here are some negotiation tips).

You also need to know your credit history, because mortgage lenders look at it carefully when considering you for a home loan. It’s much easier to improve your credit (and become a more attractive borrower) once you understand what you’re dealing with, so take a look at your credit reports and credit scores. You can look at your credit data for free through Credit.com.