Real estate

Real Estate Deal Calculator

Enter a rental property's numbers and instantly see monthly cash flow, cap rate, and cash-on-cash return.

Property & financing

$
%
%
years
$

Income & expenses

$
$
$
$
$
% of rent
% of rent
% of rent
Monthly cash flow
$0
Cap rate
0%
Cash-on-cash return
0%
NOI (annual)
$0
Total cash invested
$0

Where your rent goes each month

Mortgage (P&I) Operating expenses Cash flow

Cap rate quality ?

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How to read these numbers

This calculator runs the numbers investors check first on any rental deal: what the mortgage costs, what the property nets after real operating expenses, and what return that puts on the cash you actually put in. None of it accounts for taxes, and appreciation isn't included — it's a snapshot of the deal's operating economics on day one.

Cap rate

Cap rate = Net operating income (NOI) ÷ Purchase price

NOI is rental income (after vacancy) minus operating expenses — not counting the mortgage. Cap rate lets you compare properties at different prices on a level footing, independent of how each one is financed.

Cash-on-cash return

Cash-on-cash = Annual cash flow ÷ Total cash invested

Unlike cap rate, this does include your mortgage payment, and measures return against your actual out-of-pocket cash — down payment plus closing costs — rather than the property's full price. It's the number that most directly answers "is this a good use of my money?"

A quick sanity check: the 1% rule

Some investors use a rough screen: monthly rent should be at least 1% of the purchase price. It's not a substitute for running full numbers, but it's a fast way to filter out deals not worth analyzing further.

Frequently asked questions

No — this focuses on operating cash flow and returns, which is the more conservative and controllable side of a rental's economics. Appreciation is real but speculative; most experienced investors underwrite a deal assuming little to none.

Property tax, insurance, HOA/other fees, maintenance, vacancy loss, and property management — everything it costs to operate the property day to day. The mortgage payment is tracked separately since it depends on financing, not the property itself.

Not automatically — some investors accept short-term negative cash flow for appreciation potential or a low down payment, but it means you're paying to hold the property every month. Check whether a larger down payment, different financing, or a lower offer price would flip it positive.

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Real Estate Deal Calculator · part of MyNiftyToolbox
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