
Flip or Flop
A short sale could prove to be a promising investment but the renovations are incomplete.

A short sale could prove to be a promising investment but the renovations are incomplete.

After buying a craftsman-style home in Santa Ana, Calif., a flipper needs help keeping on budget.

Tarek and Christina believe the numbers are worth the calculated risk.

Tarek and Christina do not have much time to perform an inspection.

A home in Long Beach, Calif., seems like a typical project for Tarek and Christina.

Tarek and Christina hope for a speedy flip with a new contractor.

Renovations on a trust sale listing in Buena Park, Calif., uncover hidden problems.

A short sale listing in La Mirada, Calif., would have a smaller profit margin.

A home in Anaheim, Calif., is offered as an all-cash sale with no inspections.

A dated house on a busy street in Hawthorne needs work.

Tarek and Christina are convinced that there is a profit to be made on a 1920s home.

A short sale listing in an upscale neighborhood.

A flipper who is strapped for cash needs to unload a house.

A dirty house with surprise issues will take much work to flip.

Tarek and Christina find a short sale home in Whittier, Calif.

A house with great potential has a very limited time for offers.

A listing in an upscale neighborhood will require cosmetic updating.

Bidding on a distant property without a preview.

Tarek and Christina use their life savings to buy a house without seeing the interior.

Tarek and Christina bid on a house in Ontario; renovations seem cosmetic at first.