CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 63 R ich Croegart moved to Cumber- land County in 1979 for an op- portunity with Black & Decker. In the 1980s, Croegart began buying homes and renovating them for potential rent- ers, thus creating a lucrative second income for the hard worker when the home appliance giant closed operations. "I saw the writing on the wall that they weren't going to be around much long- er and I wasn't going to Mexico or China!" joked Croegart. "So then I began buying more homes, more apartment complexes and settled here." e Illinois transplant married a local girl and settled in the Jack Britt area. Local real estate company owner and agent Ken Lancaster serves as a role model and mentor, while his wife Carolyn is always there to lend her opinions regarding what colors and design he should implement while renovating the out-of-date homes. "I got into this business all thanks to Ken," Croegart confirmed. "Carolyn comes to me with ideas. ey're my second family." Although Croegart has been in the business for over 30 years, he only truly started "flipping to sell" last year and has three homes under his tool belt. "Before then, I was only buying…and keeping (to rent)," he said while chuckling. Ben Stout, journeyed to Fayetteville in early 2003, di- By MIrIaM Landru rectly following his graduation from e University of Georgia. His uncle had a construction business in town and two years later, Stout began flipping homes. "I did not have as much construction experience as I do now. It was a wing and a prayer. I found the crew. Made it happen. Sold it quick. en, I got the bug," said Stout. He started selling the flipped homes under his own license with ERA Strother. However, when the balancing act of staying on top of real estate laws and handling construction became difficult, he enlisted a trusted friend to help in the process. "Scott Hardin from Remax handles everything I do. He is just as excited about selling the houses as I am." FiNd iT Both Croegart and Stout agree that a home with good bones and a solid foundation is the best house to flip. "If everything is good structurally and the mechanics are good, you'll have a house ready to pick," said Croegart. Stout added, "I am trying to buy everything I can get my hands on that's right. I want to find the best product." Cliffdale Road is the region of choice for Stout's opera- tion. He primarily markets homes to the military popula- tion, and the well-traveled road's location in the western part of the county is close to Fort Bragg and Pope. e neighborhoods also feature well-built homes with one to FAyEttEvIllE FLiPS OuT FEaTurE

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