Cash-on-cash return calculator

Cash-on-cash = annual cash flow ÷ total cash invested (down payment + closing + rehab). It measures what your actual dollars earn this year — ignoring appreciation, loan paydown, and tax effects.

Purchase price ($)

Down payment ($)

Closing costs ($)

Rehab / make-ready ($)

Monthly rent ($)

Monthly expenses, excluding mortgage ($)

Interest rate (%)

Loan term (years)

4.5% cash-on-cash

Workable for a stable area, but compare it to what the same cash earns elsewhere.

Loan amount: $120,000
Monthly P&I: $818.61
Monthly cash flow: $131.39
Annual cash flow: $1,576.66
Total cash invested: $35,000

What the calculator won't tell you

What's a good cash-on-cash return?: Depends what the deal is for. Stabilized single-family rentals today often land in the 4–8% range; pushing past 8% usually means heavier rehab, a rougher submarket, or better buying. Treat double-digit projections from a seller's pro forma with suspicion.
What do people get wrong?: The expense line. Use real numbers for taxes (many states reassess on sale), insurance (climbing fast in most markets), plus reserves for maintenance, capex, vacancy, and management — even if you self-manage today.
Why is my CoC negative but the agent says it's a great deal?: They're selling appreciation. Negative cash flow is a bet that price growth outruns your monthly losses — sometimes right, never conservative.