Big Flipping Schemes in Small Cities? The Case of Mansfield, Ohio

Abstract This article presents a Poisson regression model that explains factors that affect neighborhoods with high proportions of potentiallyflipped properties based on a case study in Mansfield, Ohio. These neighborhoods were characterized by factors similar to those typical of challenged neighborhoods. Potential public policies were suggested that can address property flipping, focusing on the home buyer, the lender, the appraiser, and the inspector. Potential future public policies that address property flipping should especially focus on home buyers in neighborhoods that are characterized by variables that are significant in the model, such as a high proportion of vacant housing units, low housing unit values, and high proportions of senior or African American householders.