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☆ Furniture flippers are getting roasted online for painting vintage wood pieces 'millennial gray'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

How do you feel about painted furniture?" Halfpoint Images/Getty ImagesDemand is up for vintage wood furniture — without paintPart of the backlash certainly stems from the current state of the furniture industry, in which it's increasingly difficult to get your hands on brand-new, high-quality furniture. As a result, the secondhand furniture market is booming, with vintage furniture sellers proliferating on places like Instagram and Facebook Marketplace. The flippers said most of the hate comments tend to come from flips of midcentury modern furniture, in particular, a beloved and lasting design aesthetic from around roughly the 1930s to 1970s. Despite all the vocal online haters of painted furniture, there's a reason furniture flippers do it: the pieces sell.

Persons: —, Christina Clericuzio, grandma, Clericuzio sanded, Clericuzio, TikTok, Jennifer Beck, flipper, Gen Z, it's, she's, she'd, Beck, It's, Mike Coleman, he's, Coleman, Christina Clericuzio's Organizations: Service, Business, United Furniture, Facebook, The Washington Post, Big, Ikea Locations: Connecticut, Tennessee, Anthropologie, Mesa , Arizona, Chicago

☆ 44-Foot Whale Found Dead on Bow of Cruise Ship Coming Into New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the cruise ship approached New York on Saturday, it was found to be carrying a grim, and unexpected, catch: The corpse of a 44-foot-long endangered whale, draped across its bow. The whale, which marine authorities described as a sei whale, is known for its rapid swimming and preference for deep waters, far from the coast. Its body was discovered as the ship neared the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and the authorities were “immediately notified,” said MSC Cruises, which owns the ship. “We will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities,” she said. Marine authorities said that they had towed the animal, estimated to weigh some 50,000 pounds, from the bow, and transferred it by boat to a beach in Sandy Hook, N.J., where they conducted a necropsy on Tuesday.

Persons: “, ”, Robert A Organizations: Brooklyn Cruise, MSC Cruises, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society Locations: New York, Sandy Hook, N.J

☆ A couple that built wealth from 'live-in flips' shares 4 strategies they use to flip homes for a profit, including: Find the 'dumpy house in the great neighborhood'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A live-in flip, unlike a traditional flip, is when you rehab the home to increase its market value while living there. Related stories"One thing that we have always focused on is finding that dumpy house in the great neighborhood," said Mindy. For example, the Jensens' current live-in flip has a pool. "So no one wanted this house, but it's in a great neighborhood, and it would be very easy to get rid of the pool." Do a 'live-in flip' to avoid capital gains taxThe Jensens prefer 'live-in flips' to traditional flips because it lowers their risk.

Persons: —, Carl, Mindy Jensen, they've, they're, Mindy, There's, Carl Jensen, We're, flipper Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube Locations: The Colorado, Colorado

☆ Swimming Beneath Sand, It’s ‘the Hardest of All Animals to Find’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Anthony Ham | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If you saw a northern marsupial mole, you might be surprised. And unlike the mole species of North America, it is a marsupial. But you probably wouldn’t see one: While the animals are plentiful, sightings remain extremely rare because northern marsupial moles live in tunnels beneath sand dunes, navigating them with a swimming-like motion using flipper-like front feet. “This is the hardest of all the animals to find,” said Denzel Hunter, an Indigenous ranger who works to survey and conserve wildlife in the lands of the Nyangumarta people. “Every time we go out looking for northern marsupial moles, we find evidence that they’re there.

Persons: ”, Denzel Hunter, I’ve Organizations: First Nations Locations: Australia, North America, Sandy, Perth

☆ Tarek El Moussa has built a million-dollar real-estate empire thanks to HGTV. He said it took hitting rock bottom to get to where he is today.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Samantha Grindell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementAt the top of the book, El Moussa recounts his experience living in a partially bulldozed apartment when he was 20. It's a far cry from the multimillion-dollar homes he regularly flips with his wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, these days. "It was the most difficult period of my life," El Moussa told BI of the divorce. El Moussa eventually met former "Selling Sunset" star Heather Rae El Moussa (née Young) in 2019, and she brought him "back to life." AdvertisementHis commitment to putting his kids first is part of what makes El Moussa wake up so early each day.

Persons: Tarek El Moussa's, —, Tarek El Moussa, El Moussa, Slack, Lisette Gatliff El Moussa, El, Heather Rae El Moussa, Tristan, Christina Hall, Taylor, aimless, I've, Hall, Christina, Anne Cusack, née, El Moussas, Peter Tran, he's, Moussa, I'm Organizations: Service, HGTV, TMZ, Tarek Locations: It's, Newport , California, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, LA

☆ Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa's latest flip sold in less than a week after it was listed for nearly $1 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Samantha Grindell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewTarek El Moussa has become an expert house flipper throughout his career, as anyone who has watched his HGTV shows knows. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Since he married Heather Rae El Moussa in 2021, the couple have started teaming up on flips in California, as they document on their series "The Flipping El Moussas." On Wednesday, they celebrated the sale of their most recent flip, which was taken off the market in less than a week.

Persons: —, Tarek El Moussa, Heather Rae El Moussa, El Organizations: Service, HGTV, Business Locations: California

LONDON (AP) — A spaniel born with six legs that was found abandoned in a supermarket parking lot is now like other dogs after having her extra limbs surgically removed. “She is doing brilliantly,” said Vicki Black, director of the Langford Vets Small Animal Referral Hospital, where she was operated on Thursday. The dog, who had multiple birth defects, was found in the center of Pembroke, Wales, in September. Black said the hospital, which is part of the University of Bristol, had never seen a six-legged dog or performed such an operation. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“Ariel was a complicated little dog,” Black said.

Persons: Ariel, ”, Vicki Black, Black, ” Black Organizations: Langford, Referral, Greenacres, University of Bristol Locations: Pembroke, Wales

☆ Step inside Emma Stone’s century-old, sunlit LA home, just listed for $4 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Emma Stone has just finished playing a morally complicated home-flipper in the first season of “The Curse,” and now the actor is selling her own newly-renovated Los Angeles abode. Ryan Lahiff/Sotheby’s International RealtyStone expanded the vaulted kitchen with eat-in dining. Ryan Lahiff/Sotheby’s International RealtyPops of color and maximalist touches give the home a cheery feeling. Ryan Lahiff/Sotheby’s International RealtyThe bathroom, with a claw foot tub, is full of charm and sunlight. Ryan Lahiff/Sotheby’s International Realty

Persons: Emma Stone, Stone, ”, Eric Lavey, Xavier Collin, Lavey, “ It’s, “, ” Stone, Dave McCary, Ryan Lahiff Organizations: CNN, Image Press Agency, Stone Locations: Los Angeles, Los Angeles , New York, Austin , Texas, —, Arizona, New York, Texas

☆ All the people starting to turn on Trump are really starting to add up
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The news that former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is cooperating should concern Trump. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementThus far, most of the investigations into Trump, especially his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, have relied on lower-ranking aides. Willis previously issued a sweeping indictment against Trump and his allies for trying to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results. There's also the original Trump flipper, his former fixer Michael Cohen, who testified in Trump's civil fraud trial on Tuesday.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Trump, —, Donald Trump's, Jack Smith's, Mark Bederow, it's, Cassidy Hutchinson, Meadows, Brad Raffensperger, Bederow, Mike Pence, Pence, MAGA expats, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro —, Fani Willis, Willis, Georgia's, Ellis, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, There's, Michael Cohen, Cohen, spiller Organizations: White House, Service, Trump . ABC News, Bloomberg, Trump, Republican, Georgia, Capitol, New York Locations: Manhattan, Meadows, Washington, DC, Fulton County

☆ 'Make an Instagram house': A home-flipping couple shares 15 before-and-after photos highlighting the property renovations that have earned them tens of thousands of dollars in profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

They include pot fillers, gallery rails, vinyl floors, new shower heads, feature walls, and more. Each sale has yielded them tens of thousands of dollars in profit, according to purchase and closing statements viewed by Insider. While each property has different needs, there are common upgrades they make to each one that the couple says add value. These include adding things like pot fillers, gallery rails, vinyl floors, remodeled rooms, backsplashes, feature walls, new doors, new shower heads, and built-in features like shelves and shower seats. Illustrating what these upgrades look like, below are photos the couple shared with Insider showing the renovations they've done on multiple properties.

Persons: Donte, Donte Marzett, Jokeeta, Jae

☆ Not Your Father’s Pinball Arcade. But Maybe Your Mother’s.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Peter Kujawinski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The store was called Video Hits Plus, with the Plus maybe referring to the basement attractions, which, in addition to the pinball machines, included an air hockey table and a pornographic video section. This was around the time that pinball machines, after nearly dying out in the early 2000s from competition with home gaming consoles, started becoming more popular again. Many of these events were sanctioned by the International Flipper Pinball Association, which ranks players globally. The back of the store housed a selection of pinball machines, and if you bought something, you could play the machines for free. In 2014, James Zespy, the owner of the store, transformed it into a pinball and arcade bar called Logan Arcade.

Persons: Rachel Karlic, Rebecca Hinsdale, Kate Porter, James Zespy Organizations: Western Michigan University, Pinball Association Locations: Chicago, Logan

☆ A real estate investor shares how he grew his income from $28,000 to over $1 million in just 4 years through a combination of rental properties, house flipping, private money lending, and passive synd
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

He also successfully grew his real estate income from $28k in 2018 to well over $1 million in 2022. A "pivotal moment" for Rivers came after he began further immersing himself into Charleston's local real estate investing community by attending regular meetups and networking events. That's when he decided to become more actively involved through not only private money lending, but also home flipping and wholesaling. Scaling up with house flippingAround 2019, Rivers also began dabbling in house flipping, a strategy which makes up a huge chunk of his real estate investing income today. Focusing on passive investing through real estate syndicatesToday, Rivers also has an additional nearly $1 million invested across various syndicates.

☆ A real estate investor who built a $2.7 million portfolio in 4 years shares how he made over $180,000 from his biggest housing flip to date — and pinpoints the hidden costs to avoid when flipping home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Real estate investor Dan Rivers, who owns a 16-unit portfolio worth $2.7 million, also flips homes. In addition to his rental income, Rivers also has another nearly $1 million invested with a number of different real estate syndicates. In fact, flipping homes has been a big part of Rivers' success in real estate investing. Getting started in flipping homesRivers first became interested in flipping homes in 2019, while working as a real estate agent. Luckily, Rivers' real estate commission cushioned the loss by a couple grand, bringing his total loss down to over $2,000.

☆ A real estate investor who got started at age 38 explains how he built a 16-unit portfolio worth $2.7 million in just 4 years by adopting a compound growth mindset
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Dan Rivers didn't buy his first real estate property until 2019, when he was 38 years old. A late start to real estate investingWhen Rivers was 16 years old, doctors discovered he had a congenital heart murmur. Although he didn't know anybody there and had never sold real estate, Rivers decided that he wanted to capitalize on his newfound confidence by trying his hand at becoming a real estate agent. But his real estate investing journey began picking up steam in 2019, when he met a local real estate flipper. How a compound growth mindset contributed to Rivers' successIn fact, Rivers credits much of his real estate investing success to this compound growth mindset.

☆ What it’s like to be a theme park designer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Back then, it definitely wasn’t cool to be into theme parks, but I was obsessed,” Jeffs, 39, tells CNN. Jeffs points to the immersive “Pacific Rim: Shatterdome Strike” ride at Trans Studio Cibubur, part of Indonesia’s largest theme park chain, as an example. “When I was growing up, theme park design was often dismissed as a rinky-dink, second-class artistic discipline simply because it was rarely well done. “That first summer, we drove 10,000 miles and hit up virtually any theme park that had managed to re-open,” he says. Courtesy Taylor JeffsAnd though he’s ridden over 600 roller coasters and explored theme parks worldwide, Disneyland in California remains his all-time favorite park.

☆ A man renovated his wife's crumbling childhood home into a dream property for his five kids and loved it so much he started flipping homes full-time. See inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Adam and Jessica Miller purchased Jessica's century-old childhood home for $565,000 in 2020. The Millers embarked on a $200,000 renovation to turn the rundown property into their family home. The project was so successful it launched Adam's career as a full-time home flipper. Jessica, 34, grew up on Union and returning to her childhood neighborhood was a lifelong dream. See how the Millers transformed the five-bedroom, three-bathroom home from a crumbling mansion to a dream property for their family of seven.

☆ A Detroit man paid just $3,300 for 2 abandoned homes and transformed them for his family to live in. See inside the impressive renovation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | Libertina Brandt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In June 2017, Vincent Orr won an abandoned home from the Detroit Land Bank Authority for just $2,100. Orr transformed both homes into livable spaces with only $100,000. In 2017, Vincent Orr, 33, a native Detroiter, won a home for his mother through Auction for $2,100 — and that was just the beginning of his adventures in real estate. While Orr is currently leasing the home to a family member, he is still renovating the property. In an interview with Insider, Orr explained how he transformed both spaces with just $100,000.

Real estate crowdfundingReal estate crowdfunding is a strategy that allows enterprises to raise capital from large groups of individuals. Real estate investment trusts (REITs)If you want to wade into real estate, investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT) will provide exposure to the market without the time and cost commitment of buying your own property. Invest in your own homeFinally, if you want to invest in real estate, look closer to home — your own home. Strategies for successful real estate investingWhatever form your real estate investment takes, certain strategies will stand you in good stead. Pure investment plays — which don't involve hands-on management from you — include real estate crowdfunding, investing in real estate limited partnerships, and buying into real estate investment trusts.

☆ A 27-Year-Old Home Flipper Rehabbed Rundown 3 Homes — See Inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Crenshaw purchased this house in Harker Heights — which neighbors Killeen and is about an hour north of Austin — for $188,000 and sold it for $232,000 after renovations. He said he just broke even on this project. Crenshaw said "the energy was terrible" during his first walkthrough of this house. He cleaned up the landscaping, top, and painted the garage door a dark color, bottom. John Crenshaw

☆ The problem with home-flipping giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Meanwhile, the corporate scalpers of the housing market — companies that buy and relist homes by the thousands without doing much, if any, work on them to make a profit — are struggling. Last week, two of the biggest remaining corporate home-flipping companies, Opendoor and Offerpad, reported dismal earnings, another sign that their business model is incredibly risky. Kelman also said one "problem is that iBuying is a staggering amount of money and risk for a now-uncertain benefit. At its core, the main business model of home-flipping firms doesn't create a ton of immediate value. Opendoor, Offerpad, and other companies that rushed to purchase homes are now discounting the asking prices of those homes to get them off their books.

☆ Opendoor Posts Heavy Losses After Losing Money on Home Sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Will Parker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Benjamin Hoster for The Wall Street JournalOpendoor has lost money on sales of many of the homes it bought last year, before rising interest rates chilled the real-estate market. Opendoor Technologies Inc. posted its second consecutive quarter of losses, as the online house-flipper continued to lose money on homes it purchased last year. The company said it had $2.9 billion in revenue from selling 7,512 homes in the fourth quarter, down 25% from the same quarter a year ago.

☆ Opendoor Suffers Heavy Losses After Losing Money on Home Sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Will Parker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Benjamin Hoster for The Wall Street JournalA home for sale by Opendoor in the Phoenix metro area. Opendoor Technologies Inc. posted its second consecutive quarter of massive losses, as the online house-flipper continued to lose money on homes it purchased last year. The company said it had $2.9 billion in revenue from selling 7,512 homes in the fourth quarter, down 25% from the same quarter a year ago.

☆ A 27-year-old real-estate investor who rehabbed 7 Austin properties last year is now targeting San Antonio, where homes can cost less than $100,000. Here are 3 reasons it's the next big investor hot s
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

San Antonio. You can buy homes for relatively cheap"A lot of people have overlooked San Antonio," Crenshaw said. January data from Redfin pegs the median home price in San Antonio at $255,000, which is less than half of Austin's $530,000. San Antonio — the fastest-growing large city in the nation between 2020 and 2021, gaining nearly 14,000 people, per census data — remains attractive to newcomers. Relocators get affordability in San Antonio, Crenshaw said, without sacrificing exciting nightlife and other big-city attractions such as museums and professional sports teams like the NBA's Spurs.

☆ A 27-year-old personal trainer who quit to become a home flipper has transformed 8 properties in 2 years. See inside his latest project.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

On his first flip, Neuman was able to turn a $112,000 profit on a three-bedroom home in Willingboro, New Jersey. For this current project, his eighth, he purchased a Philadelphia home for $190,000 and invested another $130,000 in renovations. It's now on the market for $414,900. Neiman's first project was a "cosmetic flip," he said, whereas this Philadelphia renovation was far more ambitious. Courtesy of Mike Neuman

☆ How a college student can make 6 figures in real estate, according to a 22-year-old home flipper set to rake in $300,000 this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Shawn Castellanos earned about $150,000 during college by wholesaling homes with few renovations. Castellenos says he built his business without financial help and expects to earn $300,000 in 2023. "When you start talking about investing you're going to talk about real estate, because that's probably the best thing to invest in." The first house that Shawn Castellanos flipped in Dublin, Ohio, a 20-minute drive from Columbus. The interior of the house that Shawn Castellanos flipped.

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