BRRRR Calculator
Run the numbers on a Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat deal — see how much cash you leave in after the refinance, your new loan, and monthly cash flow.
Reviewed by the CalcCafe editorial team · Last updated 1 July 2026 · How we test our tools
Example
Buy for $120,000 and put $40,000 into rehab, so your all-in is $160,000. If the after-repair value is $200,000 and the bank refinances at 75% LTV, the new loan is $200,000 × 0.75 = $150,000. That leaves $10,000 of your cash still in the deal, with $50,000 of equity and, at $1,800 rent minus $700 expenses, $1,100 a month in cash flow.
How it works
All-in cost = purchase + rehab. Refinance loan = ARV × refinance LTV%. Cash left in the deal = all-in cost − refinance loan (a negative result means you cashed out more than you put in). Equity after refinance = ARV − refinance loan, and monthly cash flow = monthly rent − monthly expenses.
Good to know
BRRRR stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat — a strategy where you buy a distressed property, fix it up to raise its value, rent it out, then pull your capital back out through a cash-out refinance so you can go do it again. The whole game hinges on one number: how much of your own money stays trapped in the deal after the refinance. This calculator surfaces that figure alongside your new loan balance and monthly cash flow.
The magic happens when the after-repair value climbs high enough that a refinance at a typical 70–75% loan-to-value returns most or all of your purchase-plus-rehab cash. If the refinance loan matches or exceeds your all-in cost, the "cash left" figure drops to zero or goes negative, meaning an infinite (or near-infinite) return on the money you actually kept in the property. Leaving a few thousand dollars in is still a strong outcome compared with a conventional down payment you never see again.
Watch the cash-flow line just as closely. A property that returns all your capital but barely breaks even each month can turn painful when a roof or a vacancy hits. The monthly expenses field should fold in the new mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, property management, and a realistic reserve for repairs and vacancy — not just the loan. Many investors target a minimum cash-flow cushion per unit before they consider a BRRRR a keeper.
Treat every output here as a planning estimate, not a guarantee. Appraisals can come in below your ARV target, lenders set their own LTV limits and seasoning periods, and rehab budgets famously run over. Confirm the appraisal, the refinance terms, and your rent assumptions before committing capital.
Frequently asked questions
What does BRRRR stand for?
Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat. You purchase a property below market, renovate it to raise its value, rent it out, then refinance to pull your invested cash back so you can reuse it on the next deal.
What is a good amount of cash left in a BRRRR deal?
The ideal is $0 or less — a full cash-out where the refinance returns everything you put in. Leaving a small amount, say a few thousand dollars, is still considered a very efficient deal compared with a traditional rental down payment.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No — this calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your inputs never leave your device, and it works offline once loaded.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up and no limits.
People also ask
How do you calculate cash left in a BRRRR deal?
Add your purchase price and rehab cost to get the all-in figure, then subtract the refinance loan (ARV times the lender's LTV). What remains is the cash still tied up in the property; a negative number means you pulled out more than you spent.
How much can you refinance on a BRRRR?
Most lenders cash-out refinance investment properties at roughly 70–75% of the appraised after-repair value. So on a $200,000 ARV at 75%, the new loan would be about $150,000, subject to the lender's terms and seasoning period.
Does BRRRR really work with no money down?
It can approach that outcome: if the refinance returns your entire purchase-plus-rehab cost, you recycle nearly all your capital. But you still need cash up front for the buy and rehab, and appraisals or rate limits can leave some money in the deal.
What is the 70% rule in the BRRRR method?
The 70% rule says your maximum purchase price should be 70% of the after-repair value minus the rehab cost, leaving a margin for holding costs, surprises and the refinance haircut. Using the page's example, an ARV of $200,000 gives 200,000 × 0.70 = $140,000, minus $40,000 of rehab, for a maximum purchase price of $100,000. Buying at $120,000 instead, as in the example, leaves $10,000 of your cash trapped after a 75% LTV refinance, which is exactly the outcome the rule tries to prevent.
What is the 50% rule in rental property?
The 50% rule estimates that operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management and repairs, but not the mortgage) will consume about half of gross rent over time. On $1,800 of monthly rent, that budgets 1,800 × 0.5 = $900 for expenses, leaving $900 to cover the loan payment and cash flow. It is a screening shortcut, so once a deal passes, replace it with actual figures; the page example uses $700 of expenses, and the rule suggests checking whether that is optimistic.
Is BRRRR still effective?
BRRRR works whenever the after-repair value times the lender's refinance LTV comes close to or exceeds your purchase plus rehab cost, and it stalls when it does not. In the page example, $200,000 × 75% = $150,000 recovers all but $10,000 of a $160,000 all-in cost, but if the appraisal came in at $180,000 the loan would drop to $135,000 and $25,000 would stay trapped. Higher interest rates make it harder because the new loan payment eats more of the rent, so the strategy is most effective where you can buy well below ARV and the rent covers the refinanced debt with room to spare.
Is there a free BRRRR spreadsheet available?
This calculator already does the core BRRRR math for free: all-in cost, refinance loan at your chosen LTV, cash left in the deal, equity and monthly cash flow. If you want a spreadsheet, replicate the same five formulas in a few rows: purchase + rehab, ARV × LTV, all-in minus loan, ARV minus loan, and rent minus expenses, then add rows for holding costs during rehab, closing costs on both loans and the refinanced loan payment. Those extra lines are what usually separate a deal that looks like zero cash left from one that actually is.
Is BRRRR better than flipping?
Neither is universally better; they trade a one-time payday for long-term holding. A flip converts the same purchase-plus-rehab effort into a taxable profit at sale and you start over, while BRRRR keeps the property, pulls most of your cash back out through a refinance (loan proceeds are not taxable income) and leaves you with rental cash flow and equity, such as the $50,000 of equity and $1,100 a month in the page example. Flipping suits markets where resale prices are strong and you want cash quickly; BRRRR suits investors building a rental portfolio who can tolerate lower cash flow per property and the appraisal risk at refinance.
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Sources & references
This tool provides educational estimates only and is not investment or lending advice — confirm figures with your lender and a qualified professional.
These tools follow our methodology and provide educational estimates only — verify important figures with a qualified professional.