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Urban Real Estate Investment Strategies

Analyzing a Rental Property using Brandon Turner’s Four Square Method

A short summary of a method popularized by the cohost of The Bigger Pockets podcast.

A. Divide your page into quadrants.

B. Title the first quadrant RENTAL INCOME.

  • In this quadrant list all sources of rental income, including tenant rents, laundromat fees, parking, storage,etc.

C.Title the second quadrant EXPENSES.

INCLUDE:

  • TAXES
  • INSURANCE
  • UTILITIES (Electric,water,sewer,gas)
  • HOA FEES
  • LAWN/SNOW FEES
  • VACANCY
  • REPAIRS
  • CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
  • MORTGAGE

D. Title the third quadrant CASH FLOW.

  • Cash Flow is Income – Expenses, or
  • Quadrant 1 – Quadrant 2.

E. Title Quadrant 4 CASH ON CASH RETURN.

  • Also known as RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

First, calculate all monies needed to purchase the property. This includes:

  • Down payment
  • Closing Costs
  • Rehab budget

Now Divide ANNUAL CASH FLOW BY THE TOTAL INVESTMENT AND MULTIPLY BY 100 TO GET A CASH ON CASH RETURN EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE.

F. What determines a good Cash on Cash return?

  • IT DEPENDS. MUST COMPARE TO OTHER INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS THE STOCK MARKET OR OTHER REAL ESTATE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT THE TIME.
  • In general, CASH ON CASH RETURN must be over 10% to probably beat the expected returns of the stock market in any given year.

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