Will It Be a Flip or a Flop? DFW Flipper Year-End Update
December 26, 2025
By Elena Garrett, December 2025
Most flippers think this:
“If I buy a house under 70% ARV (after repair value)… and then install the right countertops… put in new gray LVP floors… paint everything in white/gray… add canned lights… replace the old windows/toilets/doors… and don’t overspend or make mistakes… I’ll make some money. ”
Right? Well… maybe. Or maybe not. Wait, why not?
👉 Because in 2025 (and, probably, in 2026) flipping success has had less to do with construction… and have more to do with your selecting WHICH house to spend your time and energy (and funds) on.
I can tell you of many flips that were executed perfectly. Were bought under 70% ARV. Started on time. Stayed under budget. Picked great materials and had an excellent crews. Looked better than the flips next to them. Had better features, more sq feet, and a bigger yard than their competitors. And… they closed with a $40,000 loss. How come?
They were in a poorly performing ZIP code — with very difficult exit conditions. And they were caught completely off-guard by “the market.”
The Real Risk To Home Flippers
The “invisible hand” managing the home market stays invisible during the flip, and then slowly sneezes the investors once the flip is completed and ready to go. That invisible hand? The supply and demand genie that can make mediocre or even poorly executed flips profitable and very professionally done flips flop.
This genie works like this:
The house hits the market… …and then sits. And sits. And sits.
Price drops…. The drops again…. Buyer concessions are offered… Then the price drops again…. Holding costs start to accumulate…
That’s how “solid flips” quietly turn into flops.
The difference isn’t the shade of the flooring or whether the front door is red, black, or green.
It’s the ZIP code.
Some ZIP codes move homes fast, the buyers are motivated, and within a month or two or so you are cashing out of your investment and rolling up your sleeves to go get another one. Other zip codes are stuffed with unsold, price-reduced inventory like a Dollar Store after Christmas.
Same flip will turn out very differently in two different zip codes.
Would You Like to Have a Flipper-Friendly Heat Map of the DFW Area Zip Codes?
I publish a simple DFW Flipper ZIP Code List that highlights:
🟢 ZIP codes where homes are still selling smoothly
🔴 ZIP codes where they’re dragging
Here are some ZIP codes that actually moved inventory in December — and still look flipper-friendly:
👍 Easier-To-Sell ZIP Codes
- 76039 — Euless (~2.1 months of inventory)
Balanced, steady demand — strong retail exit patterns - 75252 — North Dallas / Plano Border (~2.2 months)
High-confidence volume — buyers still active - 76017 — South Arlington ( ~2.3 months)
Affordable price points + consistent turnover - 76002 — Southeast Arlington (~2.3 months)
Suburban demand remains very healthy - 75228 — East Dallas (~2.3 months)
Urban-adjacent — fixer-to-retail still works here - 75061 — Irving (~2.3 months)
Central location = strong buyer pool - 75007 — Carrollton (~2.7 months)
Slightly slower — but still solid retail absorption
These ZIP codes are NOT “guaranteed winners.”
But they’re friendlier places to sell a finished flip right now
than high-inventory areas drowning in builder competition.
And that’s the name of the game:
📌 You only make money when you SELL.
Bottom Line Going Into 2026
If you don’t want a flop:
✔ Focus on ZIP codes where homes are actually selling
✔ Be extra cautious in areas with rising inventory
✔ Don’t try to share a zip code with multiple builders
Watch your ARV, your budget, and your work quality. But be aware that difficult exit conditions can turn almost any flip into a flop… and expensive flop…
Want the December Flipper ZIP Code List?
📞 Text or call me at 469-371-4961
I’ll send you the December update and explain how to use it to 1) know which zip codes are trouble makers and which are solid; 2) how to adjust your ARV if you have a deal being offered to you in less-than-stellar zip code.
