Real estate investment calculators.
Downloadable underwriting calculators for house hacks, rentals, short-term rentals, commercial deals, cash flow, ROI, and IRR.
The useful stuff, sorted for calculators.
These models are the practical side of our investor advice. Use them to test rent, expenses, cash flow, debt, appreciation, and exit assumptions.
House Hack Calculator
Plug in the price, down payment, and rents. See your monthly cost, cash flow if you move out, and break-even on the down payment.
Rental Underwriting Model
The model Roots agents run on every long-term buy-and-hold deal. Income, expenses, cash flow, cash-on-cash, all in one tab.
Full IRR Calculator
Multi-year IRR projection with refi, exit, and tax treatment. The one we use when a client wants the full lifetime return on a deal.
Cash Flow Model
Monthly income vs. expense projection on a single property. The clearest read on whether a deal pencils month-to-month.
STR / Airbnb Pro Forma
Short-term rental modeling. Occupancy, ADR, cleaning costs, platform fees, and seasonal swings baked in.
Commercial Underwriting Model
For multi-unit and commercial deals. The model we use for 5+ unit acquisitions and small commercial properties.
Rental Full ROI Calculator
Quick total-return view. Equity paydown, appreciation, cash flow, and tax benefits added together into one ROI number.
Simple Pro Forma
A one-page deal screen. Use it to triage 20 listings in 30 minutes and figure out which ones deserve a real underwrite.
Common questions before you use these resources.
Short answers on what to open first, what the terms mean, and when a Roots agent should help pressure-test the next move.
Which real estate calculator should I use first?
Use the house hack calculator if you plan to live in the property. Use the rental underwriting model for a traditional long-term rental. Use the IRR calculator when you need a multi-year view.
Where can I find free real estate calculators?
All of the Roots calculators on this page are free. For mortgage payment estimates, most major lenders and Bankrate publish free public calculators. For deeper underwriting (IRR, multi-year cash flow, commercial deals), the spreadsheets here go beyond what typical free online tools cover.
Can I afford a $300K house on a $50K salary?
Usually not comfortably. Standard underwriting wants total housing payment under about 33% of gross monthly income. On a $50K salary, that is around $1,400 a month, which translates to roughly a $190K to $215K home depending on interest rate, taxes, and down payment. Use a mortgage calculator with current rates to test your specific scenario.
What numbers should I run before buying a rental?
Purchase price, repair budget, expected market rent, vacancy (5-8%), maintenance and capex combined (10-15%), property management (8-10% if outsourced), taxes, insurance, and debt service. Then test cash-on-cash return, debt coverage ratio, and what happens if rents drop 10% or rates rise 1%. If the deal only works under perfect assumptions, it does not work.
How do you calculate cash-on-cash return?
Cash-on-cash return is annual pre-tax cash flow divided by total cash invested. Cash flow is rent minus all operating expenses minus mortgage payment. Cash invested is down payment, closing costs, and rehab. A 6-10% cash-on-cash return is common on Indianapolis rentals at current prices; higher returns usually come with higher operational complexity.
How is IRR different from cash-on-cash return?
Cash-on-cash measures annual yield on the cash you put in, treating each year the same. IRR (internal rate of return) accounts for the time value of money across the full hold, including appreciation and sale proceeds at exit. Cash-on-cash is the right metric for monthly cash flow. IRR is the right metric for comparing deals with different hold periods or exit assumptions.
Are the Roots calculators only for Indianapolis deals?
No. The spreadsheets can work anywhere, but the assumptions and examples are built around how Roots analyzes Indianapolis properties.
Do the calculators guarantee a good investment?
No. They are educational tools. Good underwriting still depends on accurate rents, expenses, financing, repairs, vacancy, management, and local market judgment.
Want Roots to pressure-test the numbers with you?
Bring the resources to the conversation and a Roots agent will help you turn them into the next real step.