If you're looking at a property with the intention of renovating and remodeling, you need to recognize a bad sign when you see it. If those bad signs start piling up, then a challenging renovation can turn into an absolute nightmare. To ensure you don't get sucked into a money pit, make sure you look for these 4 signs before putting your name on the dotted line.

When you're picking up a property to quickly fix and flip, you want to be sure that you aren't running into more problems than you can fix. Some potential problems with a fix and flip house are easy to overlook on your first walk-through. Make sure you take a second look to avoid more serious problems.

Investing in property in California is a daunting task, to say the least. Choose the right property and you'll reap the rewards; the wrong one will end up costing you dearly. Even the most experienced real estate investors occasionally find themselves on the losing end of a deal. Don't let that keep you from investing, though. You can minimize the potential for losses if you remember these four things to look for when evaluating a property.

Finding fix and flip properties is a great way to achieve a steady monthly net profit for your invested dollars. House flipping is where you own a home for less than 12 months before selling it at a profit. The longer a house you fix sits on the market, the more expenses you incur. You'll first want to know where the hottest property markets are for the highest capital appreciation. Since Southern California has always been a great real estate market, we've pinpointed three specific locales to help ensure there are plenty of hungry buyers to bid on your renovated home (all prices are referenced from Zillow.com).

When renovating a home, there are areas in which you can afford to be conservative. Other things require more attention, and money, in order to save time and hassle, earn money, and sell faster. Here are five things you should never cut costs on when rehabbing a property.

One of the most lucrative business models in real estate is the fix and flip model.  Although foreclosures are on the decline, the market is still on the rise and it is a good time to get into the game. Read on to learn the seven steps for success.

Fixing and flipping real estate can be a wonderful way to make money. However, if you want to be able to make a nice profit, you have to know how to get buyers interested in your fix and flip property. Luckily, following a few helpful tips can help you get people interested so that you can sell your property at a nice profit.

I asked SoCal Real Estate Group members for their opinion of the top 6 ways to add value to their fix and flip properties. The group is made up of local Southern California real estate investors that primarily focus on purchasing and repairing properties that have been neglected. Here is what they came up with:

If you are interested in purchasing a fixer-upper property, you are probably excited and raring to go. However, you'll need to carefully inspect the home for potential problems so that you know what you are getting yourself into. A lot of issues aren't a big deal -- for example, many cosmetic issues can be fixed relatively easily and affordably -- but these are three inspection items you must not overlook when evaluating a fixer-upper. They're more serious problems that can be quite costly to repair, so you'll need to take that into consideration when determining whether or not to purchase a property.

California is a great environment for real estate rehabbers. Few statistics are available, but real estate specialists have made billions of dollars by buying homes in need of repair, sprucing them up, and reselling them.