Finance & Economics / Real Estate Investment

Cash-on-Cash Return Calculator

About Cash-on-Cash Return

Formula: Cash-on-Cash Return = (Annual Pre-Tax Cash Flow / Total Cash Invested) × 100

Where: Annual Pre-Tax Cash Flow = Annual Rental Income - (Operating Expenses + Annual Debt Service)

Total Cash Invested = Down Payment + Closing Costs + Renovation Costs

Good return: 8-12% is typically considered good. Above 12% is excellent. Below 8% may need evaluation.

About This Calculator

This cash-on-cash return calculator helps you move from raw inputs to a decision-ready output in seconds.

Measure annual pre-tax cash return on actual cash invested in a property to evaluate leveraged real-estate performance.

If your workflow expands, pair this calculator with Cap Rate Calculator and Rental Property Cash Flow Calculator to cross-check assumptions and build a stronger analysis chain.

Formula

Cash-on-Cash Return (%) = Annual Pre-Tax Cash Flow / Total Cash Invested * 100

Example Calculation

The worked example below demonstrates how the input fields translate into the final output. Use it as a quick validation pass before entering your own numbers.

  • annualCashFlow: 8400
  • totalCashInvested: 70000

Explanation of Results

Result Interpretation

A 12.0% cash-on-cash return means each dollar invested generates about twelve cents of annual pre-tax cash flow.

FAQ

How is this different from cap rate?

Cap rate ignores financing, while cash-on-cash includes debt structure and focuses on return to invested cash.

Should reserves count in total cash invested?

Yes. Include down payment, closing costs, rehab, and prudent reserve capital for more realistic performance analysis.