What a flip looks like in the deed records
By Josh MillerUpdated 4 min readA flip shows up as two deeds on the same house a few months apart: an investor buying, often with a private or hard-money loan, then a sale to a homeowner at a higher price. The gap is the flipper's gross before repairs and costs; in one Houston example, an investor bought for $172,401 and sold 154 days later for $220,334.
Flippers are a wholesaler's best customers, and every flip leaves a trail in the county records. Two deeds tell you most of the story.
One flip, from the deeds
| Where | Houston, ZIP 77088, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1,020 square feet, built 1974 |
| Investor bought | $172,401, March 12, 2026, with a loan from a private lender |
| Sold to a homeowner | $220,334, August 18, 2026 |
| Days held | 154 |
| Gross, before repairs and costs | $47,933 |
Source: county deed records via GoForClose. Street address withheld.
What the deeds show, and don't
- They show: both prices, both dates, who bought each time, and the loan if one was recorded.
- They don't show: repairs, interest, taxes and insurance while held, and the commission on the sale. On a $47,933 gross, those can take most of it.
Why a wholesaler should care
- The purchase price tells you what this flipper pays for this kind of house in this zip code. That's your selling price to them.
- The resale price is a real after-repair value for the neighborhood.
- The lender tells you who funds investors locally.
- The buyer goes on your buyers list. How to build one.
Read your own county
Look for houses that sold two times within a year, first to an LLC, then to a homeowner for more. A few dozen of them in your zip codes tell you more about real prices than any estimate. See recent flips and double closes recorded in your county.
Questions investors ask
How do I find flips in public records?
Look for houses that sold two times within a year: first to an LLC or investor, then to a homeowner at a higher price. Flip-tracking tools and some list platforms filter for this.
What do deed records show about a flip?
Both prices, both dates, the buyer each time, and any loan recorded. Not the repairs, holding costs or commissions.
How much do flippers make?
The deeds show the gross: sale price minus purchase price. The profit is that minus repairs, loan costs, holding costs and selling costs, which the records don't show.
Why should a wholesaler study flips?
Flippers are your buyers. Their purchase prices tell you what they'll pay, and their sale prices tell you the after-repair value in that neighborhood.