[rbranson]

The profit from home flipping comes from asset speculation not construction. Only one of these creates net value.

[bpodgursky]

I think the line is fuzzier than you'd think.

There's a large grey area of old/marginal/condemned housing stock where buyers are making a tradeoff between a teardown + rebuild vs buying an old house and patching it up.

Flippers who successfully rehabilitate an old house do increase the effective supply.

[nicoburns]

Where I live (UK), I think most young people would be grateful for an increased supply of cheaper rundown houses to buy. Done up houses we can't afford don't help at all.

[bpodgursky]

The thing is, a flipper is going to sell, one way or another. They'll try to stake a higher price, but they'll sell low if there's no alternative.

Supply, supply, supply is all that matters.

[uoaei]

"Guess the poors will just have to wait their turn" isn't really the great insight you think it is.

[nrmitchi]

> Flippers who successfully rehabilitate an old house do increase the effective supply.

100% agree that that is not what any of these ibuyer companies are/were doing.