Sue McCormick is five years into a plan she has long put off while raising two children as a single mother. “We are working on our 20th project as we speak,” she said. “We will be finishing our 20th project in a few weeks and then have two more in the pipeline.”
The Dayton resident is investing where she grew up for affordability, and because rebuilding old blocks brings her a lot of joy.
How she started and why Dayton
McCormick had always wanted to invest, but waited until life allowed it. Podcasts were the on-ramp that built trust and a roadmap. She turned to Dayton when she realized homes in her hometown were more affordable. The community mission is also important: she likes to go into those communities and rehabilitate properties to improve those areas.
Strategy and a live example
McCormick’s strategy is simple: fix and sell.
“Our investment strategy right now is still to rehabilitate homes to sell,” she said. “We mainly get houses from auctions, sites like yours [Auction.com] special.”
Eight of the 20 properties McCormick has purchased over the past five years have gone through Action.com, the most recent in June 2025. She is targeting about six to eight weeks for a rehabilitation.
A current project was purchased at a tax auction for $80,000, with about $70,000 in rehabilitation Until now. She Plans to mention It for about $269,000.
Why Auctions Beat the MLS (For Her)
McCormick said she sees better prices at auction than on the MLS, and she is upfront about the trade-off: interior conditions are often unknown.
“I’m not necessarily afraid to go into a house that I haven’t seen pictures of,” she said. That risk tolerance is offset by possible discounts.
Manage from 500 miles away
Ohio’s online foreclosure auctions make a long-haul strategy workable. Like one Long distance investorMcCormick can come into the game without having To physically fly to Ohio for each auction. She has even bid on her cell phone while traveling or on vacation.
Division of labor helps. She mainly sources the deals while her daughter goes to Dayton to check on progress, with FaceTime Check-ins with the contractor in between.
The contractor who stayed – and stayed
McCormick’s Dayton Network includes friends tackling small errands to a contractor who become family. Early on, a subcontractor would linger after hours while touring a stranger’s house and, most importantly, staying to take care of it She was safe.
“From that moment on, I had a connection with this contractor,” she said. “He’s been with us for five years.” And the lesson stayed with her: “Contractors can make or break you…So having a contractor I can trust is a big win. “
Due diligence, costs and early lessons
McCormick urges newcomers to study the process, observe personally and build a conservative budget.
Research is very importantshe said, while also Running Compstry to see inside if the building is empty and talk to neighbors if top things to achieve. When estimating costs on the auction purchases, she plans for worst-case scenarios, such as new plumbing, updating the electrical system and replacing the roof.
One caveat MCCORMICK pointed out was that underestimating a deal can really kill a deal. Had her first auction win undiscovered damage to kitchen fire. They didn’t make much money, but it gave them the confidence to continue.
Title Vigilance is another takeaway. After experiencing deed fraud on a property, she now recommends signing up for a county alert that flags act changes.
Neighborhood Rimple Effects
Rehabilitation have proven to be a motivator for neighbors, not just a balance win. “The neighbors are affected. They feel better,” McCormick said.
As projects progress, she is seeing more homeowners come out to work alone placesor even ask her crew for help.
“A rehabilitation project can not only improve the community, but motivate the community in some ways,” McCormick added.
Advice to start today
Education first. McCormick suggests listening to podcasts and reading books. She too said that they found Auction.com by the BiggerPockets podcast,, And Once was Listen to two to three larger episodes per day.
If auctions are your path, she also said to attend some, even if you have to do it for a year before you feel comfortable. Then build your local network the way she did – by showing up at auctions, hardware stores, and online community groups – so you’re not alone when problems arise.
McCormick’s Story to assemble a busy one The reality of an investor: Pick A market you understand, buy with a margin of safety and rely on people you trust.
#investor #improving #hometown #rehab #time