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House-flipping is all the rage. But beware – it’s a lot harder than it looks on TV

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House-flipping hit its highest levels last year since before the recession as investors seek to capitalize on rising home prices and a seller’s market with tight inventory. But the process is nothing like what you see on TV, where it looks like a home can be bought, gutted, renovated and resold in less than an hour – not including commercial breaks . The truth is often much messier, real estate professionals in Charlotte said. “It’s a lot easier to lose money in this business than it is to make it,” said Jeff Johnson, owner of NewPath Properties , which specializes in buying and rehabbing distressed properties . Still, that’s not deterring people from giving it a try in Charlotte. First-quarter figures from Attom Data Solutions show flips – defined as the same property selling twice in a 12-month period same year – made up more than 6 percent of sales in the Charlotte region, or 540 sales. House-flipping increased almost 4 percent from a year ago, though it remains well below the cit...

House-flipping is all the rage. But beware – it’s a lot harder than it looks on TV

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House-flipping hit its highest levels last year since before the recession as investors seek to capitalize on rising home prices and a seller’s market with tight inventory. But the process is nothing like what you see on TV, where it looks like a home can be bought, gutted, renovated and resold in less than an hour – not including commercial breaks . The truth is often much messier, real estate professionals in Charlotte said. “It’s a lot easier to lose money in this business than it is to make it,” said Jeff Johnson, owner of NewPath Properties , which specializes in buying and rehabbing distressed properties . Still, that’s not deterring people from giving it a try in Charlotte. First-quarter figures from Attom Data Solutions show flips – defined as the same property selling twice in a 12-month period same year – made up more than 6 percent of sales in the Charlotte region, or 540 sales. House-flipping increased almost 4 percent from a year ago, though it remains well below the cit...

New real estate reporter tries to find an apartment in San Diego.

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I didn’t cry while searching for a San Diego apartment , but I came close. Moving to the city on a Sunday night, I had a five-day reservation at a Motel 6 and needed to find an apartment fast . I also had my 6-year-old tabby cat with me and a new job as real estate reporter for the San Diego Union -Tribune to start the next day. I was fairly confident I’d find a place quickly because in the last decade I had managed to get apartments in London, Chicago, San Francisco, New York City, rural New Jersey, Northeast Pennsylvania and, most recently, Monterey. Not only did San Diego turn out to be the most difficult, it made me change nearly everything I thought I wanted. My criteria was a one- bedroom apartment near the beach that allows cats, a rent of no more than $1,200 and was fairly close to work. To say the least, I stayed at the Motel 6 longer than expected. Ignorance of what neighborhood I was in most of the time was exacerbated only by a rental market that has seen prices increase...

Christina El Moussa Has a Few Things She'd Like to Say

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Aug 22, 2017 Most of the stars on HGTV — a network so popular it beat CNN's ratings during an election year — lean toward a look that, well, blends in. Crown jewel Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper is often seen in denim, plaid and baseball caps to match the Waco, Texas, scenery. Love It or List It 's Hilary Farr is almost always wearing jeans and a plain, bright sweater or blouse. Karen Laine and daughter Mina Starsiak of HGTV's new show Good Bones also favor simple plaids and neutrals. Christina El Moussa from Flip or Flop , HGTV's second most popular show after Fixer Upper , will sometimes wear a conservative blouse or drapey sweater on-camera, but she'll also pair them with ripped jeans or visit demolition day in form- fitting yoga pants . She's hardly ever without a blowout and brown smokey eyeshadow . She stands out and gets noticed — but with that must come a thick skin. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Int...