When my husband and I retired from our jobs, we weren’t ready to play golf or just sit around and read the paper. We wanted to stay active, be productive and continue to earn a living. Since we are both quite handy and have experience with construction and remodeling, we decided to start flipping houses. We look for homes in good or upcoming neighborhoods that have been allowed to get rundown. My husband and I are always eager to tackle a new project. We tear out walls, ceilings and floors. We replace windows, appliances and roofs. He and I have no problem repairing the plumbing or electrical wires. About the only aspect of the house that we prefer not to get involved in is the heating and cooling system. We don’t invest in a home without having a licensed HVAC contractor check out the equipment. We want to be sure it’s operating safely and reliably and will last for several more years. We typically live in the houses while we’re doing most of the work, and it’s certainly helpful to have a working heating and cooling system. Plus, any type of whole-house air conditioner or heater is very expensive to replace. We are unwilling to purchase a house and then sink a ton of money into a new furnace or heat pump. We ask the HVAC contractor to perform a full evaluation and if we buy a house, a complete maintenance procedure as well. We’re very careful to seal off all vents during the remodeling process to prevent dust from damaging the system.