Mississippi situation guide · Updated November 2026

Wholesaling Storm-Damaged Houses in Mississippi

Wholesaling storm-damaged houses in Mississippi means contracting for a home hurt by tornadoes, hurricane winds or fallen trees, then assigning that contract to a rehab buyer. In Hattiesburg and the Pine Belt, roof and tree damage is common. You earn a fee by speed and honesty, within Mississippi’s license rules.

Tornado and wind lossesRoof and tree scoping100% online mentorship

Get the free starter kit Book a free call

Call/Text818-532-0481

Let’s find your starting point

Explore the mentorship.

Request a free fit call to discuss your goals and whether the program is right for you.

The short answer

Can you wholesale a storm-damaged house in Mississippi?

Yes, you can assign a contract on a storm-damaged home, as long as you control the contract and market it carefully. Our research found nothing in Mississippi law aimed at wholesalers, but the broker definition is broad. Confirm current text with a lawyer.

Storm losses come in layers. A tarp may cover a hole today, while hidden water has soaked insulation and framing. After a tornado or hurricane, adjusters are slow, contractors are booked and owners get tired. Our repair cost guide shows how to scope roofs, siding and interior water so your numbers hold up.

The law adds a wrinkle. Miss. Code 73-35-3 treats listing, selling, negotiating, advertising or finding a purchaser for pay as brokerage, and 73-35-5(7) shields bona fide owners. No Mississippi case we found places a contract assignor on either side. Our license guide and legality guide lay out the open questions.

Storm-Damaged Houses in Mississippi at a glance

Common damage	Torn roofs, fallen pines, wet insulation
Money question	Wind deductibles and slow claims
Best buyer	Roof-focused flippers and landlords
Outreach risk	State telephone solicitation act
Broker law	Miss. Code 73-35-3 and 73-35-5(7)
Local market	Hattiesburg, Forrest and Lamar counties

The opportunity

Why storm losses appear around Hattiesburg

Forrest and Lamar counties see tornado outbreaks, pine-tree falls and hurricane remnants. Wind can take a roof and leave a house standing, which gives a rehab buyer a clear job. Owners with partial claims, high deductibles or no time often accept cash. Student rentals near the University of Southern Mississippi add landlords who would rather sell than rebuild. Match those owners with crews who already work after storms.

High deductibles

Wind and hail deductibles can leave owners facing a large out-of-pocket gap.

Landlords

Rental owners may sell damaged units instead of managing repairs. See our tenant-occupied guide.

Estate homes

Heirs who inherit a battered house often prefer to sell. See probate leads.

Get the free starter kit See the mentorship

Lead sources

Where to find storm-damaged leads in the Pine Belt

Roof tarps. Blue tarps weeks after a storm hint at stalled repairs. Log them with our drive-by guide.
Tree contractors. Tree and roofing crews often see owners who cannot afford the next step.
Tax records. Check tax delinquent lists in Forrest and Lamar counties.
Absentee owners. Out-of-town owners of damaged rentals are covered in our absentee owner guide.
Direct mail. Simple letters work after storms. See direct mail for wholesalers.

Your exit

Who buys storm-damaged homes in the Pine Belt

Roofing-focused flippers, small builders and landlords with in-house crews usually buy. They want photographs of the roof deck, a note on the date of the storm and any claim paperwork. A wholetailing path can also suit homes that need light work.

Tell buyers what is unknown. Hidden rot under shingles and wet insulation is common, and a roof that looks fixable can hide framing damage. If you also write a clear inspection window into the contract, both sides have room to confirm the scope.

Book a free call

Step by step

How to start wholesaling storm-damaged houses in Mississippi

Document the loss. Photograph the roof, trees, interior ceilings and any tarp work.
Ask about claims. Learn whether a claim was filed, paid in part or denied, and who holds the money.
Confirm title. Complete a title search and check for liens.
Estimate repairs. Use ARV math and fresh comps to set the repaired value.
Calculate the offer. Plug figures into the MAO calculator and the ARV calculator.
Sign with assignment language. Add an inspection contingency and clear assignment wording.
Close with a local title company. A Mississippi investor-friendly title company can handle the closing.

Your checklist for wholesaling Storm-Damaged Houses in Mississippi

Date the storm and photograph the roof from several angles.
Ask who holds any insurance proceeds.
Add an inspection window to your contract.
Confirm with an attorney how 73-35-3 applies to your plan.
Avoid any marketing of a house you do not yet control.

A Mississippi example: a landlord near the University of Southern Mississippi

Location	Hattiesburg, Forrest County
Condition	Tornado wind removed part of the roof
Estimated repaired value	$205,000
Repair budget	$61,000
Contract price	$96,000
Assignment fee	$10,500

Here is a worked example with invented numbers. A Hattiesburg landlord owned a rental near campus. A tornado lifted part of the roof and rain ruined two bedrooms. He did not want a long claim fight.

You contracted at $96,000. With a repaired value near $205,000 and a $61,000 budget, a rehab buyer had room for a margin.

A local crew took over the contract and sent you $10,500 at closing. The landlord skipped the repair process, and the buyer knew about the open insurance claim from day one.

Mississippi rules to know

Mississippi rules for storm-damage wholesalers

Fines for unlicensed brokerage begin at $500 to $1,000 for a first offense by a person and climb for later ones, per 73-35-31, with a separate one-to-four-times claim on pay earned. HB 1682 (2026) aimed to define wholesaling and stalled in committee, so it is not a rule you must follow. Read the live code instead of any summary.

After storms, owners get buried in calls, which makes outreach the second risk. Mississippi’s Telephone Solicitation Act (77-3-701 onward) covers registration, a no-call list and permitted hours, with federal rules on top. Compare our TCPA guide and attorney guide.

Learn it with a mentor

Test your storm deal first

Storm deals move fast, and mistakes cost money. Mentorship students send us their photos and scopes, and we review them together.

See the course See the mentorship

FAQ

Storm-Damaged Houses in Mississippi: common questions

Is wholesaling storm-damaged houses in Mississippi legal?

Mississippi has no wholesaler statute that we could find, yet 73-35-3 casts a wide net over brokers. Whether passing on your own contract differs from advertising someone else’s property is unsettled in our review. Read the current code and put the question to a Mississippi attorney or the Real Estate Commission.

Do I need a license to assign a storm-damaged house contract?

We found no rule aimed at assignors. Still, the code can treat one paid act as brokerage, and the owner exemption has limits. Before you accept a fee on a tornado-hit house, ask an attorney whether your contract and role fit the exemption.

How do tornadoes and storms affect pricing?

Work back from the fixed-up value: repairs, a pad for hidden water and rot, then the rehab profit. Hattiesburg prices differ by neighborhood, so use current nearby sales. Material and labor costs can rise right after a major storm, so refresh your estimates.

Should I tell buyers about an insurance claim?

Yes. Tell buyers whether a claim was filed, paid in part or denied, and who holds the funds. They need it to judge what they are buying, and openness lowers the odds of a dispute later, since concealment claims can arise under general law.

Can I cold-call owners after a storm in Mississippi?

Only with care. The Telephone Solicitation Act, run by the Public Service Commission, covers registration, a no-call database and calling hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central, not on Sundays or holidays. Federal rules also apply. Check current text before any outreach.