Flipping homes by city

Flipping earned a bad reputation during the housing boom, but now it’s regaining popularity. These are the top house-flipping markets, according to research firm RealtyTrac.

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Phoenix

Flipping is the practice of scooping up short sales, rehabbing them and aiming for a quick sell. Phoenix leads the country with nearly 10,000 flipped properties during the first half of 2012.

Matt York / AP

Las Vegas

Las Vegas comes in second with nearly 6,000 flips between January to June 2012. By state, Nevada comes in fourth with 6,359 homes flipped.

Isaac Brekken / AP

Los Angeles

California leads the country in the flipping market, with nearly 26,000 flips in the first half of 2012. Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego and San Jose all feature in the top 20 flipping markets by city.

Everett Fenton Gidley / AP

Miami

Florida continues to recover from a huge hit to its housing market, coming in second to California with nearly 15,000 flipped homes. Miami comes in fourth by city.

LYNNE SLADKY / AP

Atlanta

Atlanta flippers managed to sell close to 5,000 homes in the first half of 2012. Gainesville, Ga., was another city that showed a significant increase in flipping rates compared with 2011.

David Goldman / AP

Denver

Denver follows Sacramento with almost 3,000 homes flipped in the first half of 2012.

Matthew Staver / BLOOMBERG NEWS

Detroit

From thousands of abandoned homes to a 51 percent increase in flipped homes compared with 2012, Detroit's flipping market is witnessing a resurgence.

Paul Sancya / AP

Washington

The District saw a sharp increase starting two years ago, though the percentage for 2011 is down slightly. Maryland and Virginia also have seen an increase in the number of flips during the past year, according to RealtyTrac.

Bill O'Leary / WASHINGTON POST

Seattle

The state of Washington saw a 47 percent change in flipped houses compared with 2011. Seattle follows Tampa and Orlando with slightly fewer than 2,000 flips in the first half of 2012.

/ ALAMY

Chicago

Flippers in The Windy City managed to sell close to 2,000 homes in the first half of 2012.

Kiichiro Sato / AP

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