Does it seem like it's a desert for property listings lately? That's because it is, with one exception.

There you are, all ready to hit some open houses in Los Angeles over the weekend.  But you sadly realize that there are no homes for sale to see.  Hey, it's the holidays! Listings slow way down at this time of year!

However, there is a certain type of home that still pops up around this time -- flips.  Property flippers don't care about the time of year that their listings show up; they just want to make their money back on their extensive house remodels asap.  And most of the flipped homes are pretty nice.  So, if your goal is to purchase something that's in move-in condition, a flipped home may be for you.  Caveat: these houses are usually NOT sold at a discount; the opposite is often true.  And with the L.A. area's history of multiple offers, the house you like may actually go over the purchase price.  Even if not, you may have to wait for January for any price reductions.