The Flip that Flopped - The Lee's Summit Deal

Every investor has one — that project that just. won’t. end.

For us, it was a house we bought on the courthouse steps in Lee’s Summit. On paper, it looked like an easy win: a newer home built after 2000, solid bones, and nothing more than some cosmetic updates.

The previous owner clearly loved bold colors — every wall was painted in something dramatic: black, red, orange, turquoise. The small kitchen had seen better days with its Formica countertops and honey oak cabinets, but it didn’t need a full remodel. A good clean-out, fresh paint, new carpet — that was the plan. A simple three-month in-and-out flip.

Getting Possession: The First Roadblock

Our first challenge came right out of the gate — getting possession. As always, we knocked on the door a few times, left notices, and waited for a call. Instead, we heard from the previous owner’s mother or sister. The owner, it turned out, was hospitalized for mental health reasons and would be there indefinitely.

That meant our usual strategy — offering cash for keys — was off the table. She couldn’t move out, and we couldn’t just wait around. Meanwhile, we were on the hook for taxes, insurance, and interest at about 7.9% on a $150,000 loan.

The Eviction That Wouldn’t End

With no other option, we filed for eviction. In Missouri, that process should take about 30 – 45 days — post notice, court date, set-out. Easy, right?

Except somewhere along the way, word reached the judge that the person being evicted was in a mental hospital. It seems the judge thought we were evicting a tenant, not a previous owner. Despite our attorney’s explanations, the judge wanted to give “the poor tenant in the hospital” more time to recover.

That “extra time” turned into nearly three months of back-and-forth filings, calls, and delays before we finally got possession.

Three more months of taxes, insurance, and interest.

Rehab and Another Surprise

Once the personal belongings were removed and the house was finally ours, we got to work. A month later, it looked fantastic — fresh paint, new flooring, clean lines, professional photos, and a great MLS write-up.

And that’s when the universe laughed again.

The very week we listed the property, a major road project began on the main route to the subdivision. The road was basically shut down.

We had showings scheduled, but agents kept saying, “We couldn’t find it,” or “We couldn’t get there.” We updated our maps and directions, but there was no getting around it — the project killed drive-by traffic.

It took another three months before access improved enough that buyers could easily reach the neighborhood. Finally, we got an offer — and one month later, it closed.

The Financial Reality

Our “three-month” flip turned into ten months.
Our projected $30,000 profit disappeared into holding costs, price reductions, and interest. After paying our private lender (who earned about $22,000 in interest) and splitting what was left with our partner, we ended up making about… zero.

Lessons Learned

Every deal teaches something, and this one taught several:

✔️ Check for planned road construction before buying — it can kill your flip and even hurt your ability to rent until it’s done.

✔️ File eviction immediately when dealing with a previous owner. You can always cancel if they move out voluntarily, but you can’t get lost time back.

✔️ Spray-on countertop resurfacing = junk. Don’t do it. It doesn’t look “just like granite” as our partner thought it would.

✔️ Always, always take care of your private lender. If issues come up, communicate early. Sometimes they can help you solve the problem.

Do You Have one of those Deals

Do you have a deal that didn’t go as planned? Maybe a rehab that went sideways or a deal where you had to pivot to make it work? We’d love to hear your story — and what you learned — so other investors can benefit too.

👉 Email your “never-ending flip” story to [email protected], and we might feature it on the MAREI blog.

And we are asking a few local investors to join us at the November 11 MAREI Meeting to share their flips that flopped, how they made a pivot to make it work . . or didn’t pivot but lived to tell the tale.