The property workbench

A clearer view
of the deal.

Model the income, costs and financing behind a rental property. See which assumptions shape the cash flow before you take the next step.

ZV / 02

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Start with the assumptions

Year 1 at a glance

Illustrative example · Replace the assumptions
Annual cash flowAfter debt and capital allowances
Cash-on-cash returnAnnual cash flow ÷ initial cash
Going-in cap rateNOI ÷ purchase price
Debt coverageNOI ÷ debt service

USD · Annual estimates before income tax · Dollars rounded for display

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01 / Make the assumptions yours

Use your own rent roll, quotes and financing terms. The starting example is illustrative, not market data.

01

Purchase & financing

Start with the acquisition and the cash you need to close.

Cash spent at acquisition.
Fully amortizing loan. No balloon or interest-only period.
Initial cash invested Monthly principal & interest
02

Rent roll & other income

Rent is monthly. Area is in square feet.

Enter potential monthly rent for each unit, including vacant units. The vacancy allowance below reduces the combined potential income.

Total area Potential monthly rent
Applied to rent and all other income.
03

Operating expenses

Annual costs of running the property.

Debt service, replacement reserves, leasing commissions and tenant improvements are shown separately below net operating income.

04

Capital & leasing allowances

Keep property operations separate from cash investment.

A recurring cash allowance; deducted below NOI.
Use 0 unless this is separate from the allowance beside it.

These are annual cash-flow budgets, not a lease-by-lease rollover schedule. Keep initial repairs and future improvements separate.

05

Growth & exit assumptions

Make the holding period and sale assumptions explicit.

Applies to rent and other income.
Applies to fixed costs and recurring capital budgets.
Applied to the year after the holding period.
Enter your estimate; 0 excludes selling costs.

03 / Look beyond year one

Cash flow over the holding period.

Each year represents 12 full operating months. Income and expenses grow from Year 1. Loan payments stop at the end of the amortization term.

Annual projected income, expenses, financing, cash flow and remaining debt
YearEffective
income
Operating
expenses
Net operating
income
Capital &
leasing
Debt
service
Cash
flow
Loan
balance

On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.

At the end of the hold

An exit estimate,
with the costs visible.

Forward-year NOI ÷ exit cap rate, less selling costs and remaining debt. Annual cash flow above excludes these sale proceeds.

From a model to a conversation

Bring the number
you’re least sure about.

A rent assumption, a cost estimate or a model that needs to fit your situation. Tell me what you’re trying to understand.

Discuss your assumptions No need to share sensitive deal details to start.

The model, explained

What goes into the result.

Income, NOI & cash flow

Potential rent and other income are reduced by the vacancy allowance. Operating expenses are then deducted to calculate net operating income (NOI). Replacement reserves, additional reserve allowances, leasing commissions, tenant improvements and debt service are deducted below NOI to calculate cash flow.

Cap rate is NOI divided by the purchase price. Cash-on-cash return is annual cash flow divided by the initial down payment, closing costs and initial repairs. A return is unavailable when its denominator is zero.

Financing & debt coverage

The loan uses a fixed rate and monthly principal-and-interest payments over the amortization term. At 0% interest, payments still repay principal. An all-cash scenario has no debt payment or DSCR.

Displayed debt coverage is NOI divided by annual debt service. Lenders may deduct reserves or use other underwriting adjustments. This is not a lending approval or a loan quote.

Growth, capital costs & exit

Year 1 uses your entered budgets. Income growth applies to all income; expense growth applies to fixed operating expenses and recurring capital allowances. Percentage management follows effective income. Commission and improvement budgets can apply in Year 1 only or recur annually.

The exit estimate uses the next year’s NOI, after the selected holding period, divided by the exit cap rate. Selling costs and remaining debt reduce net sale proceeds. A nonpositive forward NOI or zero exit cap rate does not produce a meaningful capitalized sale estimate.

Scope & privacy

This is a rental-property screening model, not an appraisal, investment recommendation or tax model. It does not model lease rollover, rent-free periods, rent recoveries, refinancing, balloon payments, depreciation, income taxes or partner distributions. Verify property-specific inputs before relying on a result.

Your property details and calculations are processed in this browser. Remembering a scenario on your device is optional. Exported files contain the details you enter; keep them somewhere you trust. Starting a conversation does not send the scenario automatically.

Definition references: Fannie Mae operating statement ↗ · OCC commercial real estate lending ↗

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