Union County, PA Sees Negative Flip Returns with -10.7% ROI
In July 2026, real estate investors in Union County recorded an average gross loss of $25,000 on 25 flipped homes, signaling a challenging market for short-term property resales.
According to BatchData's Flip Activity Report for July 2026, Union County, Pennsylvania, experienced a limited but notably unprofitable residential flipping market. A total of 25 homes were bought and resold within a 12-month period, indicating a relatively low volume of investor-driven rehab and resale activity in the county. The most striking statistic reveals that these flips generated an average gross profit of $-25,000, resulting in an average gross ROI of -10.7%. This figure represents the return before accounting for significant additional costs such as renovation expenses, holding costs, and selling fees, pointing to a market where the purchase price exceeded the resale price for the average flip.
The average time to flip in Union County stood at 140 days. While this duration falls within the "fast" hold length category (under 6 months), the negative average gross profit suggests that even quick turnovers did not translate into financial gains for investors in this period. This contrasts sharply with the typical objectives of residential flipping, which usually aim for positive gross margins to cover subsequent expenses and generate net profit. For real estate investors considering opportunities in Union County, these figures highlight a need for extreme caution and a deep understanding of local market dynamics, as the data indicates that capital deployed in flipping endeavors during this period faced significant headwinds.
County Overview
Union County's flip market activity, with just 25 homes flipped in the trailing 12 months, represents a small fraction of the broader Pennsylvania real estate landscape. This low volume suggests that residential flipping is not a dominant investment strategy or a significant driver of market activity within the county. The average gross profit of $-25,000 per flip means that, on average, properties were resold for less than their original purchase price. This negative return, reflected in the -10.7% average gross ROI, underscores a challenging environment where market conditions, property acquisition strategies, or renovation costs (though not included in gross ROI calculation) likely contributed to these losses.
The average days to flip at 140 days indicates that properties were turned over relatively quickly, typically within a 4-5 month window. However, the speed of these transactions did not prevent significant gross losses. This scenario implies that investors either faced rapidly declining market values post-purchase, misjudged the resale potential, or were compelled to sell quickly at a loss. For those leveraging property data API solutions to identify market trends, Union County's performance signals a high-risk environment for traditional buy-rehab-sell models, where even efficient capital deployment did not yield positive gross returns.
Local Market Context
When compared to the rest of Pennsylvania, Union County's flip activity is notably subdued and underperforming. The county ranks #46 out of 66 counties in the state for flip volume, accounting for a mere 0.2% of Pennsylvania's total of 12,409 flips. This low ranking and small share indicate that Union County is not a significant hub for residential flipping within the state. The state's overall flip volume is substantial, with 12,409 properties flipped, and the national total stands at 341,944, showcasing a stark contrast to Union County's limited activity.
Union County's market trends diverge significantly from what is typically expected in active flipping markets, both statewide and nationally. While larger markets often present opportunities for positive gross returns, Union County's average gross profit of $-25,000 and average gross ROI of -10.7% paint a distinct picture of unprofitability. This performance indicates that the county's specific economic factors, local demand, property values, or investor strategies are not aligning to support profitable flipping ventures. Investors seeking insights from market reports would find Union County's data to be a clear signal of heightened risk, suggesting that capital preservation should be a primary concern over speculative gains in this particular market based on current trends. The data from BatchData provides a critical lens for assessing the viability of investment strategies in geographically diverse markets.