Investment Property Guide
From determining your home's value to closing day, learn more about the home selling process.
How to Safely Buy Bank‑Owned & Auction Properties — And Why Looping Us In Early Protects Your Profit
Buying an investment property through a county auction or bank‑owned sale can be one of the smartest ways to build wealth in Northern Colorado — but it’s also one of the easiest ways to lose money if you go in alone. These properties rarely hit the open market, which means you don’t get inspection windows, seller disclosures, or the protections you’re used to in a traditional transaction.
That’s where we come in.
As lifelong Northern Colorado locals and full‑time real estate professionals, we’ve helped investors flip distressed properties for years. We’ve built a proven system that protects your budget, your timeline, and your expected profit from the very beginning.
Step 1 — We Get You Connected With Auction.com
Auction.com is the best place to see:
Which properties are going up for auction
Estimated bid ranges
Opening bids
Auction timelines
Occupancy status
Exterior photos and basic details
We help you create your search, refine your filters, and understand which listings are actually worth your time. This is the first step in making sure you’re not walking into an auction blind.
Step 2 — You Send Us Screenshots, and We Use Our Local Knowledge to Evaluate the Property’s True Potential
When you find a property on Auction.com that looks interesting, send us a screenshot. This is where our local expertise becomes one of your biggest advantages.
Northern Colorado — especially Greeley — is a mix of very old homes and very new construction. Some neighborhoods have homes over 100 years old, while others were built in the last 10–20 years. The age of a neighborhood dramatically affects:
Repair budgets
Resale strategy
Likelihood of hidden issues
Expected profit margin
Because both of us were born and raised here, we know:
Which neighborhoods have century‑old homes
Which areas were built in the 50s–70s and often have aging systems
Which subdivisions are newer and more predictable
Which pockets of town tend to have deferred maintenance
Which areas historically produce stronger resale numbers for flips
Older homes often come with:
Outdated electrical
Old plumbing
Settling foundations
Original windows
Aging roofs
Historic quirks that require specialized trades
Higher likelihood of mold, leaks, or structural surprises
Newer homes may only need cosmetic updates — which means lower repair costs and faster turnaround.
When you send us a screenshot, we combine:
A preliminary CMA (recent sales, outstanding balance, realistic resale value)
Neighborhood age and history
Local investor experience
Age‑based risk assessment
This gives you a clear picture of whether the property is:
A smart buy
A risky buy
A buy that needs a bigger repair budget
A buy that could produce strong returns
A buy that should be avoided entirely
This early evaluation is something you simply cannot get from Auction.com alone — and it’s one of the biggest reasons our investors stay profitable.
Step 3 — We Evaluate Exterior Condition (Your First Big Clue)
If the outside looks rough, the inside is almost always worse.
We look for:
Peeling paint
Damaged siding
Overgrown landscaping
Trash or debris
Broken windows
Neglected roofs
Signs of water intrusion
These exterior clues help us estimate whether the interior is likely to need:
Full paint
Flooring replacement
Wall patching
Mold mitigation
Plumbing or electrical updates
Trash‑out services
Hazard remediation (including meth contamination)
This early evaluation helps you avoid properties that will blow your budget before you even start.
Step 4 — If Access Is Possible, We Walk the Property With You
Access is rare — but when it happens, we’re there.
We walk the exterior (and interior if allowed) with:
You
Our preferred contractors
Our trusted handy help
Anyone who can give you real numbers on repairs
This gives you a preliminary bid on what the property will cost to flip — before you ever place a bid at auction.
Step 5 — We Coordinate Everything for You
Over the years, we’ve become pros at:
Connecting investors with reliable contractors
Coordinating bids
Scheduling walk‑throughs
Checking on progress
Making sure repairs are done correctly
Providing updates throughout the flip
Helping you prepare the home for market
Ensuring you meet all requirements for a smooth sale
Doing this alone is extremely hard. Doing it with us is streamlined, predictable, and profitable.
Step X — We Stay With You Through the Entire Flip
Once you win the auction, we don’t disappear.
We:
Check on the property regularly
Make sure contractors are doing the work correctly
Help you prioritize repairs based on ROI
Keep you updated on progress
Prepare the home for listing
Run updated CMAs as repairs finish
Help you price the home strategically
Get it on the market and sold
Our investors love this because they never feel like they’re guessing — they feel like they’re guided.


The Sherman Team
Want us to help you build your investment strategy? Reach out and let’s start running numbers together.
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