What was the typical home flipping return in Q2 2026?

ATTOM reports a typical gross return of 21.5% ($60,526 gross profit) on 77,991 flips, down from 25.7% in Q1 2026 and 27.6% in Q2 2025. These figures exclude rehab, financing and carrying costs.

Is 21.5% the same as my profit on a flip?

No. ATTOM's figure is resale price minus purchase price. Your actual profit is what remains after rehab, loan costs, holding costs, and closing and agent fees, which flippers often estimate at 20-33% of ARV. Always compute net profit on your own deal.

How long does the typical flip take now?

ATTOM puts the Q2 2026 average at 161 days from purchase to resale, slightly below 165 days in Q1 and 166 days a year earlier. Use it as a benchmark for your carrying-cost assumptions, then adjust for your market and rehab scope.

Market News

Flip Returns Fell to 21.5% in Q2 2026: How Much Margin Is Left After Costs? (Oct 2026)

A 21.5% gross return sounds healthy until you subtract what it costs to get the house sold.

October 5, 2026 · 5 min read

Quick answer

ATTOM reports the typical Q2 2026 flip earned a 21.5% gross return, or $60,526, down from 25.7% in Q1 and 27.6% a year ago. That figure is before rehab, financing and carrying costs, which flippers often put at 20-33% of ARV. With Freddie Mac's 30-year rate at 7.28%, thin deals need a wider buffer.

What ATTOM's Q2 numbers say

ATTOM counted 77,991 single-family and condo flips in Q2 2026, 6.2% of all home sales (8.0% in Q1, 7.3% a year ago). The typical gross profit was $60,526, a 21.5% return on the purchase price, versus 25.7% in Q1 and 27.6% in Q2 2025. The typical flip took 161 days from purchase to sale. Margins shrank in 126 of the 186 metros ATTOM tracks. Pittsburgh (81.5%), Buffalo (76.6%) and New Orleans (75%) led; San Antonio (-0.3%), Dallas (1.8%) and Austin (2.8%) were the weakest.

ATTOM's gross profit is simply resale price minus purchase price. It does not include rehab, financing, holding or selling costs.

What the typical flip keeps

Working backward from ATTOM's figures, a $60,526 profit at a 21.5% return implies a purchase price near $281,500 and a resale near $342,000. Experienced flippers commonly estimate total project costs (rehab, financing, carry, closing and agent fees) at 20-33% of ARV. Applied to a $342,000 ARV, that is roughly $68,000 to $113,000, which is more than the typical gross spread. This is an illustration built from the averages, not ATTOM's own net-profit figure, but it shows why a headline return in the low 20s leaves little room for error.

Item (typical flip, illustrative)	Amount
Implied resale price	~$342,000
ATTOM typical gross profit	$60,526
Costs at 20% of ARV	~$68,400
Costs at 33% of ARV	~$112,900

Real flips vary widely. Rehab scope, how much was financed, and local resale costs move these numbers a lot, and many flippers buy well below the average margin. The point is that average market spreads are no longer a safe cushion.

Rates make the exit harder, too

Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed jumped to 7.28% on October 1 from 7.03% the week before and 6.34% a year ago (the 15-year is 6.60%). On a $342,000 sale with 10% down, principal and interest rises from about $1,913 to $2,106 a month versus a year ago, roughly +$193. The same payment budget now supports about 9% less loan. That squeezes the buyer pool at your ARV just as margins are already thinner.

How to underwrite in this market

Underwrite net, not gross. Build the full cost stack (rehab with contingency, loan points and interest, taxes and insurance, closing and agent fees) before comparing against ATTOM-style headline returns.
Use the 161-day benchmark. If your model assumes 90 days and the national average is 161, add carry for the gap and see if the deal still works.
Stress the ARV by 5%. At 7.28%, buyers are payment-sensitive. If a 5% lower ARV wipes out your profit, the spread is too thin.
Go where margins survive. Midwest and Northeast metros led Q2 while Texas markets lagged. Check your local comps and days on market rather than assuming the national picture applies.
Pass on marginal deals. When average returns are compressing, the safest edge is buying further below value, not hoping for appreciation.

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Frequently asked questions

What was the typical home flipping return in Q2 2026?: ATTOM reports a typical gross return of 21.5% ($60,526 gross profit) on 77,991 flips, down from 25.7% in Q1 2026 and 27.6% in Q2 2025. These figures exclude rehab, financing and carrying costs.
Is 21.5% the same as my profit on a flip?: No. ATTOM's figure is resale price minus purchase price. Your actual profit is what remains after rehab, loan costs, holding costs, and closing and agent fees, which flippers often estimate at 20-33% of ARV. Always compute net profit on your own deal.
How long does the typical flip take now?: ATTOM puts the Q2 2026 average at 161 days from purchase to resale, slightly below 165 days in Q1 and 166 days a year earlier. Use it as a benchmark for your carrying-cost assumptions, then adjust for your market and rehab scope.