How much cash do I need to flip a $200K house?

The short answer, as of October 2026

• Down payment: $0 on 100% financing, $10,000 at 5% down, $30,000 at 15% down.
• Closing costs at 5% down: $15,128 for origination, lender fees, title, insurance, the appraisal, prepaid interest and our 1% broker fee.
• Proof of funds at 5% down: cash to close plus $12,000 of the rehab and $13,214 of interest. It stays in your account.
• The deal has to fit: 95% of the purchase plus the rehab under 75% of the after repair value, $262,500 here.

Capital Kings LLC is a broker, not a lender. We compare every file across 400+ lenders and send the term sheet with every fee on it before you sign.

Every dollar, line by line

A $200,000 purchase, a $40,000 rehab and a $350,000 after repair value, 720 credit, first flip, in the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio or Austin metro. The real term sheet on 5% down and on 100% financing, every line labeled by who gets paid:

5% down0% down

Open the full term sheet →

Cash to close$25,128

Proof of funds to show$50,342

Where the $25,128 goes

• Down paymentEquity$10,000
• Appraisal feeAppraiser$550
• Prepaid interestLender$1,086
• Origination and lender feesLender$5,440
• Broker feeBroker$2,300
• Closing / titleTitle co$3,472
• Property insuranceInsurer$2,280

Proof of funds adds $12,000 of the rehab and $13,214 of interest, money that stays in your account. The gold broker line is the only money Capital Kings earns.

A sample sheet for a made-up borrower, built the same way yours is. Yours takes about five minutes and doesn’t pull your credit.

Compare the options

More down buys a lower rate, and less down usually costs more in fees, so the cheapest loan and the least cash are not the same program.

Cash to close on the same $200,000 flip, four ways

$200,000 purchase, $40,000 rehab, $350,000 after repair value, 720 credit, first flip, 12-month interest-only loan, rehab funded in draws. Closing costs are origination, lender fees, our 1% broker fee, title, insurance, the appraisal and prepaid interest. Proof of funds is cash you show in the bank on top of cash to close: part of the rehab and six months of interest. It stays in your account. Rates as of October 2026.

Where the numbers come from

Cash to close is the down payment plus the closing costs. On this flip the closing costs are origination (2% of the loan at 5% down), the lender’s fees, title, a year of insurance, the appraisal, about two weeks of prepaid interest and our 1% broker fee. The rehab itself is not in cash to close: the lender funds it in draws as the work gets done.

Proof of funds is the number people miss. The lender wants to see cash in your account on top of what you bring to closing, enough for part of the rehab and six months of interest, so a slow sale or a late contractor does not stall the project. It is not spent at closing. On 5% down that is $50,342 in all, against $25,128 to close.

With 100% financing the purchase and the rehab are both funded, and because this deal fits under 70% of the after repair value with room to spare, the lender rolls $5,000 of the closing costs into the loan. You bring $13,083. The trade is $2,955 more in fees than 5% down at about the same rate (11.50% against 11.49%), plus reserves of 15% of the loan in your account.

0% and 5% down are for properties within about 30-40 miles of Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio or Austin. Outside the major Texas metros and in other states, flips usually start at 10% down; your state page has those numbers.

Four things to check

• Run the cap before you offer.If 95% of the purchase plus the rehab is more than 75% of the after repair value, the loan is capped and the gap is cash you bring.
• Budget proof of funds, not just cash to close.On 5% down the lender checks $50,342 in the bank against $25,128 to close.
• Price the fees, not just the rate.100% financing is the least cash but $2,955 more in fees than 5% down on this deal.
• Itemize the rehab.Draws are released line by line after inspection, and an itemized scope of work funds faster than a lump sum.

Straight answers