Wholesaling isn't just for newbies anymore!

The changes in many housing markets, and the influx of some new courses for investors has created a new craze for wholesaling houses in the last year or so. Wholesaling is back!

We've all done it. You get a house under contract, find an investor willing to pay $5,000 more than you, and make a quick buck. I did a few and then got tired of leaving money on the table each time. I wanted to make as much as possible, so I stopped wholesaling and started rehabbing and selling as many houses retail as I could find.

But consider this…there are other advantages of wholesaling that have made it a much more desirable choice for many investors, or, in some markets, a necessity in order to cover short-term cash flow gaps.

If you're continuing to try to sell every house you find retail, guess what you're leaving on the table:

• The chance to have a guaranteed $5,000 to $10,000 in the next two weeks, instead of hoping to make $20,000 or more in the next six months (or as many investors are experiencing, a loss of $20,000 or more).

• The chance to get paid immediately and not run out of cash next month and have to lower your other houses' prices in a fire sale and lose money anyway

• A relatively hassle-free life, and a business that is MUCH easier to systemize. If you weren't preoccupied with rehabbing, maintaining, leasing, and selling houses, what's left to focus on? Find house, assign house, find house, assign house, and so on, and so on…

The only drawback to wholesaling is that you will make less money per house and will therefore have to find more deals. So, to make a lot of money consistently, you'll need to be good at finding motivated sellers without spending a lot of money. But, isn't that what we should all be doing anyway?

Do one per month while keeping your marketing costs low, and you can support yourself financially or at least have a lot of play money. Do two per month, and you'll be living well!

Therefore, for the reasons above, I'd consider wholesaling a higher percentage of your houses to be a much more attractive alternative to holding, retailing, or to just flat-out giving up and not doing deals at all.

Author's Bio: 

Alan Brymer is has been a full-time investor since his first property at the age of 22, and speaks at seminars and events nationwide. His investment company was named by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum as one of the "Top 25 Companies Under Five Years Old." Alan is also a frequent guest expert for the news media, having been featured on multiple television programs and magazines as a real estate expert. To read more of Alan's articles and blog, go to www.AlanBrymer.com.