The Ups and Downs of Flipping Condos for Fast Cash

The gains can be huge but so can the risks.
By: Terri Cullen: The Wall Street Journal Online
Low interest rates and a condo building boom have been fueling condo "flipping" - when investors buy and quickly sell condos to reap a profit. The gains can be huge: A First American Real Estate Solutions study of hot real-estate markets found that the annualized rate of return for three-to-six-month flips of residential homes was usually 20% to 40% or more above the market appreciation rate. Condos made up between 20% to 30% of the sales.

WHAT TO DO: With condo flipping, the risks can be as great as the rewards. Because the condo market is prone to speculation, condos typically lose value more rapidly than other homes during recessions. Investors buying into a cooling market may find it difficult to quickly sell, and may not make enough profit to cover the transaction costs, or could even sell at a loss. It's also getting harder to flip, as developers crack down on speculators. Amateurs need to tread carefully: flipping has attracted the attention of the IRS and investors could face an audit.

Email your comments to rjeditor@dowjones.com.