Strategy — Fix & Flip
From the offer to the closing table without losing margin
Flippers don't lose money on the buy; they lose it on the rehab and the schedule. DealForge keeps purchase, rehab, draws, and the resale flyer locked to the same set of numbers so variance shows up early — not at closing.
- Hard-money and private-money modeling built in
- 70%-rule MAO with adjustable multiplier
- Trade-level rehab budgets with bid comparison
- Draw schedule synced to the lender packet
- Holding-cost calculator with monthly burn
- Resale flyer in flipper mode for buyer agents
What it is
A fix and flip turns capital and time into a renovated home that closes at retail. The math is unforgiving — over-rehab a kitchen by $8k and the deal eats the profit; miss your timeline by 60 days and holding cost does the same. DealForge keeps every assumption auditable and every actual reconciled against the original underwriting.
Who it's for
Active flippers
Running two to ten projects, tired of duct-taped spreadsheets.
First-time flippers
Need guardrails before signing the first hard-money note.
Crews scaling up
Standardize underwriting and PM across project managers.
How it works
- Step 1
Underwrite to MAO
ARV from comps, rehab from category preset, MAO from the 70% rule.
- Step 2
Lock financing
Hard money + private money + your cash, modeled together.
- Step 3
Fund the deal
Export the branded lender packet from the same numbers.
- Step 4
Execute the rehab
Gantt schedule, draws, photo log, ledger.
- Step 5
List and sell
Resale flyer with ARV justification for buyer agents.
Flip workflows compared
| Stage | DIY | DealForge |
|---|---|---|
| MAO calculation | Excel | One-click |
| Lender packet | Word doc | Branded PDF |
| Draw tracking | Email chain | Schedule + photos |
| Variance analysis | After the fact | Real-time |
Quick ROI calculator
Estimate flip profit, ROI, and 70%-rule MAO from a handful of inputs.
Default expense, tax & vacancy assumptionsClick to expand — every default is editable and feeds back into the numbers above.ShowHide
Default 10% · at default
Multiplied onto rehab budget. Every +5% adds roughly Rehab × 0.05 to total cost and shaves ROI by 2–4 points.
Default 2% · at default
Points on (purchase + rehab). Hard money typically charges 2–3 points up front. Each point ≈ 1% of loan added to cash in.
Default 1.5% · at default
Title, transfer tax, escrow on the buy side. Usually 1–2% of purchase price.
Estimates only. DealForge models every line item — taxes, insurance, vacancy, capex, financing fees — when you run the full analyzer.
Inputs, assumptions & how to read the results
What each field means, the math we apply, and what counts as a healthy number.
What goes in ARV vs Purchase price?
ARV is the projected resale value after rehab — set it from comparable sold, recently renovated homes within a half-mile. Purchase price is the all-in price you'd pay the seller at closing, not your offer.
How should I estimate rehab?
For a quick pass, use $25–$40/sqft cosmetic, $50–$75/sqft mid, $100+/sqft heavy. For an offer, get at least one trade-level bid. Under-budgeting rehab is the #1 way flips lose money.
What counts as monthly carry?
Hard-money interest + property taxes + insurance + utilities + HOA. A typical SFR carry is $1,200–$2,500/month depending on loan size and market.
Why 8% selling costs?
Agent commission (5–6%) + closing costs + transfer tax + title typically totals 7–9% of sale price. Adjust for your market and whether you list with a discount broker.
What ROI is 'healthy'?
Most active flippers target 20%+ ROI on cash and at least $25k net profit per deal. Below 15% leaves no margin for surprises; below 10% you're working for free.
What is the 70% MAO line?
MAO = ARV × 0.70 − (Rehab × (1 + contingency)). It's the offer ceiling that reserves 30% of ARV for holding, financing, selling costs, and target profit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fix and flip?
Buying a distressed property, renovating it to retail condition, and reselling it for a profit — typically within 6 to 9 months. Profit is ARV minus purchase price, rehab cost, holding cost, financing cost, and selling costs.
What is the 70% rule in flipping?
MAO = ARV × 0.70 − Rehab. The 30% buffer covers holding cost, financing cost, selling costs (agent commissions, closing, transfer tax), and target profit. Tight markets push the multiplier toward 0.75; conservative investors stay at 0.65.
What financing do flippers use?
Most rely on hard-money loans (90% of purchase + 100% of rehab is common), often paired with private money for the down payment. DealForge models hard money, private money, conventional, and all-cash side-by-side.
What's a realistic profit per flip?
Median single-family flip profit in the U.S. is roughly $60k–$70k gross, $30k–$45k net of holding and financing. DealForge surfaces both numbers so the gross figure doesn't seduce you.
How long should a flip take?
Cosmetic flips run 60–90 days from close to listing; mid-level 120 days; full gut renovations 180+ days. Holding cost compounds every extra week, so DealForge tracks projected vs actual schedule on every project.
Related features
Invite-only beta
Run every deal through one operating system.
Stop juggling spreadsheets, PDFs, and group chats. Join the waitlist and we'll send your invite in the next wave.