Flipping a home is tough work. Aside from the research, the investment, and the construction, you still have to attract the right buyers at the right time! In an ideal world, a flipped home would sell itself and give you time to sit back and relax. Unfortunately, the real estate market isn't ideal, and you're going to have to take on a couple more tasks to stay ahead of the competition. The question that's on every investor's mind is: just how do you make your flip more appealing in today’s competitive marketplace?

While recent market trends and media coverage have made fix and flip investing a more visible option for those looking to make money in the housing market, buy and hold strategies are a time-honored way of amassing wealth. If you are thinking of trying your hand at real estate investment, you may be wondering if a buy and hold strategy is right for you.

Home improvement shows on HGTV always involve making a tiny bungalow open concept and adding bathrooms. Installing engineered beams, replumbing a house, and knocking down walls require a licensed contractor and building permits. Some flips don't warrant that degree of investment and frankly are in good enough shape that modest cosmetic fixes will provide a generous return. These 8 renovations can be made without a contractor and offer a good bang for the buck.

In an uncertain economy, it's easy to find homes that have been foreclosed, sold at rock bottom prices to help cover other debts, or homes that have been left sitting empty and untended for so long that they now need a little bit of help to become a livable property. Read our five criteria for identifying a profitable rehab property to determine whether or not this is a venture that could be successful for you.

Wholesalers, flippers, and sellers. Oh, my. Anyone considering real estate investment (REI) needs to research the various avenues used to create a successful business. Get to know the business from others involved. Talk to agents. Discuss options with lenders, both standard mortgage and hard money. Remember, you are looking at being a business professional, creating profitable deals for the seller, the rehab flipper, or general investor, as well as yourself.

In the real estate “game,” nothing is more exciting than finding, rehabbing, and then flipping a property for a sizable profit in the time span you originally envisioned. Still, reality can often intrude and you will be stuck with a property that you cannot sell at a profitable price. When this happens, the prudent real estate investor has a secondary plan or “exit strategy” to deal with this eventuality.

A hard money loan is a tool to help you invest in property and make a profit. As such, planning your exit strategy for the loan is an important part of your overall plans for property investment. Paying off a loan is often one of the significant expenses involved in rehabbing a property, which means a good loan exit strategy can make the difference between making a great profit or simply breaking even. Here are 3 strategies for paying off your hard money loan.

Maximizing your return on a real estate “flip” investment requires a few things. Obviously, you must buy the property at the right price. In addition, though, you must use your investment capital efficiently. This last factor means concentrating your rehab efforts on the places that provide the greatest return on investment. With that in mind, here's where we suggest that you start:

If you're getting ready to sell a house and you want to maximize your selling price, of course you're going to want to make sure the house is in its best condition. On the other hand, unless you intend to spend years perfecting every minute detail, you're also going to want to make efficient home improvements, such that you minimize time and energy while maximizing the effect your work will have on the house's resale value. Here are five home improvements to increase the value of your REI (real estate investment) that you can probably do in just a few days without breaking the bank.