SouthCreek Flips Shows Us How to Fix-and-Flip Like a Boss

As you may know, Level 4 Funding is a hard money lender and we help a whole lot of people realize their dreams, especially those who focus on fix and flips or rehabs. From time to time, we come across someone who’s story and work is just too inspirational not to share. Pam Bauer and Marsha Burton of SouthCreek Flips are two such people. Marsha was kind enough to talk with us a little about some of their recent flips as well as what keeps them in the business.

Pam’s Been a General Contractor for 25 Years

Having a background in the industry makes the transition to flipping houses much easier. In Pam’s case, her 25 years of work as a general contractor gave her a great background for fix-and-flips. With nine years of direct fix-and-flip experience and Marsha as a partner, SouthCreek Flips has completed 18 properties in 3 years.

The Pair Follows the Motto, “The Uglier, the Better”

While those just getting into the fix-and-flip business will likely want to select modest projects, the expertise these ladies bring to the table means they can tackle homes that others might shy away from. “Hoarder houses,” as Marsha calls them, are a favorite. The pair specifically targets homes that might appear beyond help to others due to trash and debris, filth, or shoddy upkeep, and often networks with realtors and other real estate investors to help ensure the right projects land with the right rehabbers.

Carving Out a Family Paradise is its Own Reward

Even though fix-and-flips can be lucrative if you know what you’re doing, Marsha says they’re driven by more altruistic means. The pair works largely in low-income areas, restoring 2-3-bedroom homes for people who want a nice place to stay near family, but can’t find quality housing in the area. She says her favorite project to-date involved just this; rehabbing a hoarder house with mold problems. The house actually sold before it even listed for more than asking price because the buyer was so excited to have the opportunity to purchase a nice home near his mother. Check out the stunning photos of it below!

After All These Years, Some Homes Still Come with Surprises

Those who do fix-and-flips for a living have expert eyes and know how to size up a property well, but even the pros find ugly surprises from time to time. We asked Marsha what their biggest surprise was thus far. “We noticed some plumbing was a little corroded when replacing a fixture,” she explained. “You can rig a house to death and put it on the market and Pam and just I can’t do that.” So, they did what they always do; make sure the corroded plumbing was addressed. Unfortunately, this led to an unsavory discovery: a former owner decided to create his own sewer system with cinder blocks. The pair was forced to drill it all out, remove it, and replace it to code.

Watch for More to Come from SouthCreek Flips

The dynamic duo has been focused purely on their projects thus far and doesn’t have a digital footprint just yet, so be on the lookout for a website in the future. You may also catch their current project on Garfield which will be hitting the listings any day now.
If you liked hearing Pam and Marsha’s story, come back here as we continue to highlight more of the great things Level 4 Funding clients are doing with their hard money loans or contact us directly if you think you’ve got what it takes to become a home rehabber and need funding for your project.