Popular shows on channels like HGTV make it look like house flipping is an easy way to make money. Investing in homes and selling them or renting them can be a good way to make a profit. Whether it’s an easy prospect is debatable, but one thing is certain: house flippers and investors are snapping up a huge percentage of Dallas-Fort Worth homes.

Nearly 40 percent of DFW homes were purchased by flippers and investors last year, according to the Star-Telegram. 

According to economists at Attom Data Solutions, the current percentage of homes sold to investors and flippers in DFW is the largest it has been since the year 2000. This is considerably higher than the national average of about one-third of all properties that are sold to investors or flippers.

More significantly, the current rate is much higher than the historic average for the Dallas area, Attom Data says. Historically, only about 25 percent of DFW area homes are sold to investors or flippers.

The current rate of homes sold to investors and flippers reflects the area’s rapid growth, with a major demand for housing. However, because the market is appreciating so rapidly as well, investors’ profits are smaller than they would in more stable markets.

The North Texas zip codes with the most home flips last year were South Oak Cliff (zip code 75224), South Dallas (75216), South East Dallas (75241), Northwest Fort Worth (76106), and Southwest Dallas (75232).

Many DFW investment purchases also include builders doing teardowns and apartment developers repurposing former residential neighborhoods for new multifamily units.