Cash-on-Cash Return Calculator
Annual cash flow ÷ cash invested — the leveraged investor's true yield, with leverage verdict.
Formula
Disclaimer: Indicative math — lender policies, state charges and market rents vary. Verify locally; not financial advice.
Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.
Need cash-on-cash return calculator results fast? Skip the spreadsheet and get a clear, defensible answer in one step — free, private and instant, recalculating live as you change any input.
About Cash-on-Cash Return Calculator
Cash-on-cash answers the only question your bank balance asks: what do the dollars I actually invested earn in cash each year? The defaults — 25% down on $400k, $15k closing/repairs, $21,500 NOI against a 6.6% mortgage — produce the honest math investors need BEFORE the appreciation story: cash flow after debt service divided by the ~$115k that left your account. The leverage verdict above is the deal's X-ray: when CoC exceeds the cap rate, borrowed money amplifies returns (positive leverage — the building yields more than the debt costs); when it's below, every borrowed dollar DILUTES you (negative leverage — common at 6-7% mortgage rates against 5% caps, and the quiet reason many post-2022 'deals' only work as appreciation bets). Same building, different rate environments, opposite verdicts. Read CoC alongside its siblings, not alone: it ignores principal paydown (~$4-5k/year of equity at the defaults — add ~3-4% of 'hidden' return), appreciation, and tax effects (depreciation often shelters the entire cash flow on paper) — total returns routinely double the CoC figure. Conversely it flatters interest-only and balloon structures. Floors that survive cycles: 6-8% CoC for stable rentals, 10%+ for the effort of rough neighborhoods or heavy management — and never accept negative cash flow 'because appreciation': that's a margin call with tenants.
How to use Cash-on-Cash Return Calculator
- 1Enter Purchase price, Down payment (%), Closing + initial repairs, Annual NOI (from the cap-rate tool), Mortgage rate (%) into the Cash-on-Cash Return Calculator.
- 2The result is computed automatically using CoC = (NOI − debt service) ÷ (down payment + closing + repairs) — the return on dollars you actually wrote checks for — there is no button to press; it updates live as you type.
- 3Change any input to model a different scenario, then use “Copy result link” to share the exact numbers.
Why use Cash-on-Cash Return Calculator?
- ✓Computes cash-on-cash return calculator instantly with the correct formula — no spreadsheet needed
- ✓100% free and unlimited, with no sign-up, login or paywall
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser, so the figures you enter are never uploaded or stored
- ✓Shows the formula, a live worked example and references so you can defend the number
Frequently asked questions
What's a good cash-on-cash return?+
Stabilized long-term rentals: 6-8% satisfies most professionals at moderate leverage; 10-12%+ is expected for C-class areas, heavy management or short-term-rental operational load. Below 4-5%, the deal is an appreciation bet — fine if EXPLICIT. Compare against REIT yields (~4-6%, zero effort) as your laziness-adjusted benchmark.
CoC negative aa raha hai — deal turant chhod dein?+
Pehle samjho KYUN: high-rate environment me thin-cap quality asset (negative leverage) hai to ya price ghatwao, ya down badhao (CoC sudhrega par capital efficiency giregi), ya rate-buydown/ARM dekho. Value-add plan (rent 20% neeche hai, renovation se NOI badhega) ho to year-2 stabilized CoC par underwrite karo. Bina kisi inme se ek ke — haan, chhod do; negative cash flow hope ka EMI hai.
Down payment badhane se CoC kyun badal jaata hai?+
Dono direction me khel hai: zyada down → kam debt service → zyada cash flow, PAR zyada cash invested bhi — net asar leverage ke sign par depend karta hai. Positive-leverage deal me down GHATANA CoC badhata hai (amplification); negative-leverage me down BADHANA CoC ko cap rate ki taraf upar kheenchta hai. Slider ghuma kar dekho — yahi leverage ka pura paath hai.
Tax ke baad asli return kitna hota hai?+
Aksar dikhne se behtar: depreciation (US me 27.5-saal straight line) paper-loss banati hai jo cash flow ko shelter kar deti hai — $7-8k cash flow par $14-15k depreciation ka matlab zero (ya negative) taxable rental income. Principal paydown + appreciation upar se. Isi liye total return underwriting CoC se shuru hoti hai par wahan rukti nahi — aur isi liye RE investors CPA pehle hire karte hain, painter baad me.
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