BRRRR Calculator

What is a BRRRR calculator?

A BRRRR calculator is a tool that models Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat: you enter purchase, rehab, ARV, refinance LTV, and rent so you can see cash left in the deal, refinance proceeds, and cash-on-cash return. This page does not pull comps, talk to a lender, or close a loan.

This is an estimate from the numbers you enter — not investment, tax, or lending advice. A refinance that covers all-in cost is a modeled outcome, not a quote.

The Formula Behind This Calculator

The core BRRRR math comes down to two calculations:

Refinance Loan Amount = ARV × LTV%

Cash Left in Deal = Refinance Loan Amount − Total All-In Costs

Where:

• ARV = After Repair Value — the appraised market value of the property after renovations are complete
• LTV% = Loan-to-Value percentage your lender will advance (typically 75% for conventional investment property cash-out refinances)
• Total All-In Costs = Purchase Price + Rehab Budget + Buying-Side Closing Costs + Holding Costs during rehab
• Cash Left in Deal = the capital you cannot recover after the refinance; a negative number means you pulled out more than you put in (a "perfect BRRRR")

Source: The 75% LTV limit is the conventional maximum for investment property cash-out refinances per Fannie Mae guidelines.

How to Use the BRRRR Calculator

1. Enter purchase and rehab costs. Input the purchase price, estimated rehab budget, and buying-side closing costs. These sum to your total all-in cost — the number the refinance must beat.
2. Set the After Repair Value (ARV). Enter your estimated ARV based on recently sold comparable properties in the same neighborhood after full renovation. Get this from a local agent or appraiser, not a Zillow estimate.
3. Set your refinance LTV. Most conventional lenders lend up to 75% of ARV on investment properties. Enter your lender's max LTV to calculate the new loan amount.
4. Enter rental income and expenses. Input expected gross monthly rent and operating expenses: taxes, insurance, property management, maintenance reserves, and vacancy allowance.
5. Review your results. The calculator shows cash left in the deal, monthly cash flow after the new mortgage payment, and your cash-on-cash return. Near $0 left in the deal means a strong BRRRR candidate.

Who Is This For?

• Real estate investors evaluating whether a distressed property — a foreclosure, wholesaler lead, or off-market deal — qualifies for BRRRR before making an offer.
• Investors comparing buy-and-hold vs BRRRR returns on the same property, modeling how leverage and capital recycling affect long-term portfolio growth.
• Anyone learning the BRRRR strategy who wants to run it with real numbers rather than generic textbook examples.

Key Benefits

• Privacy. Tool inputs stay in the browser.
• Free to use now. No subscription, no paywall, no account required — ads are not live yet. Run as many deal analyses as you need.
• No account needed. Works instantly. To save an analysis, use your browser's Print to PDF feature.
• Models the full deal cycle. Unlike simple ARV calculators, this tool runs the complete BRRRR math: all-in cost, refinance loan, new mortgage payment, monthly cash flow, and cash-on-cash return in one place.

Common BRRRR Mistakes to Avoid

• Overestimating ARV based on Zillow instead of actual comps. Automated valuations are notoriously inaccurate for distressed properties. Use recently sold comps pulled by a local agent or appraiser — your entire refinance proceeds depend on this number being right.
• Underbudgeting rehab costs by 20-30% — always add a contingency. First-time rehabbers routinely discover hidden costs once walls open up. Build a 20-30% contingency into your rehab estimate before running the BRRRR math.
• Not confirming the lender's seasoning period before closing on the purchase. Many conventional lenders require you to own the property for 6-12 months before they will do a cash-out refinance. If you don't verify this upfront, you may be stuck waiting longer than planned to pull your capital back out.
• Ignoring holding costs during rehab — every month costs insurance, taxes, and utilities. A 3-month rehab adds 3 months of carrying costs to your all-in number. Model these in your total cost calculation, not as an afterthought.

Common Use Cases

Use our Investment Property Calculator to analyze cash flow and cap rate before committing to a BRRRR deal. Check the MAO Calculator to determine your maximum allowable offer on wholesale deals.

A new investor spots a wholesale deal at $85,000 with an estimated $35,000 rehab and $180,000 ARV. Before making an offer, they run the numbers here to confirm the 75% LTV refinance ($135,000) covers their $125,000 all-in cost — and that the $1,400/month rent generates positive cash flow after the new mortgage payment.

An experienced investor pitching a private money lender uses the calculator to show a clear breakdown of projected returns and capital recovery timeline — showing a modeled timeline for when the lender's capital may come back and what cash flow looks like under those inputs.

An investor comparing two properties models both scenarios: one with a higher ARV but also higher rehab costs. The calculator shows which deal returns more capital after the refinance and which produces better ongoing cash flow.

For the official refinance guidelines used by most conventional lenders, see Fannie Mae Cash-Out Refinance Guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions