Why I'd Rather Buy the Worst House on the Best Street

One of the phrases I probably say more than anything is this:

I'd rather buy the worst house on the best street than the best house on the worst street.

That doesn't mean every fixer-upper is a good investment.

It also doesn't mean every ugly house has hidden potential.

But when the location is right, the floor plan makes sense, and the numbers work, I'd choose potential over perfection almost every time.

One of my favorite examples of this was our Sloan's Lake renovation.

When we first walked through the house, it wasn't exactly inspiring.

The carpet was stained. There were odors throughout the house. The bathrooms looked like they hadn't been cleaned in years. There were holes in the walls, deferred maintenance everywhere, and it was obvious the home had been neglected for a loooooong time.

Most buyers would've walked in, looked around for two minutes, and left.

I completely understand why.

But Joe and I weren't looking at what the house was.

We were looking at what it could become.

We Bought the Neighborhood First

Before we ever signed the contract, we already knew who our buyer was going to be.

Not by name, of course.

But we knew the type of buyer.

The house was only a few blocks from Sloan's Lake, one of Denver's most desirable neighborhoods for young professionals and buyers who want to be close to everything. It had a ranch floor plan with a full basement, vaulted ceilings, and a layout that gave us plenty to work with.

The finishes were terrible. Think, 1980s.

The bones weren't.

That's a big difference.

We've learned that I can change almost everything about a house except its location.

I can't move it closer to Sloan's Lake.

I can't magically put it on a better street.

Those things are incredibly valuable, and they're often overlooked because people get distracted by old carpet and outdated paint colors.

We Saw Something Other Buyers Didn't

One thing renovating homes has taught me is to separate permanent problems from temporary ones.

Dirty carpet is temporary.

Paint is temporary.

Old fixtures are temporary.

A bad location isn't.

A poor floor plan is much harder to fix. Sometimes it’s worth it, sometimes it’s not. The numbers matter.

That's why Joe and I spend so much time evaluating the things buyers can't easily change.

Once we knew the location and layout were right, everything else became a renovation plan.

The Market Confirmed It

After the renovation was complete, we listed the home.

That first weekend, we received eight offers.

The house sold for $100,000 over the asking price.

Even more rewarding than the sale was what happened afterward.

The home became the new benchmark for the neighborhood. What started as one of the worst houses on the block ended up setting the comparable sales that other homes would be measured against.

That's incredibly satisfying because it confirmed what we believed from the very beginning.

The opportunity had always been there.

Most people just couldn't see it yet.

It's One of the Biggest Mindset Shifts I Try to Teach Buyers

I completely understand why buyers fall in love with beautiful homes.

They're easy to imagine yourself living in.

But sometimes the best investment is the house that requires a little vision.

Not every buyer wants a renovation project, and that's okay!

But if you're willing to look past cosmetic issues and focus on location, layout, and long-term potential, you can create equity that simply isn't available in a move-in-ready home.

That's why I always encourage buyers to think beyond what's sitting in front of them today.

Instead, ask yourself what the house could become.

Sometimes that's where the best opportunities are hiding.

Why This Matters

One of the biggest advantages of working with us is that we've actually done this ourselves.

We're not guessing what a renovation might cost or whether a home has potential. We've bought houses in rough condition, transformed them, and seen firsthand how the right decisions can create incredible value.

When we're walking through a home with a client, we're not just looking at what it is today.

We're helping them see what it could become.

Sometimes that's the difference between buying a house...

...and making one of the best investments you'll ever make.