What Is the One Percent Rule in Real Estate? (2024)

The one percent real estate rule is a shortcut for measuring the viability of a rental property investment. The one percent rule states that the monthly rent should equal one percent or more of the property’s purchase price to be considered a “good investment."

How to Calculate the One Percent Real Estate Rule

There are three variables in the one percent rule:

  1. The purchase price (if you incur any upfront costs to renovate the property and prepare it for market, include those costs in the purchase price for the purposes of the one percent rule),
  2. The monthly rent amount,
  3. And the percentage (which will be at least one percent to meet the one percent rule).

And there are formulas to solve for any missing variable. Let’s look at three examples where we can solve for each variable.

Example 1: Calculating the Ideal Rent Amount Using the One Percent Rule

Here is the formula for finding the amount of rent a property should generate using the one percent real estate rule:

Purchase price x 1% = the one percent test’s ideal monthly rent amount

Let’s calculate the one percent rule on a $400,000 investment property. Simply take 400,000 times .01 (the decimal conversion of one percent), and you get 4,000. So, to pass the one percent test for this real estate investment, you would need to charge $4,000 per month in rent.

The great thing about this formula is that you don’t really need to do any math; simply move the decimal place in the purchase price two digits to the left to find the monthly rental rate.

Example 2: Calculating the Ideal Purchase Price of An Occupied Property Using the One Percent Rule

If you know how much monthly rental income is collected from a property, you can determine how much you should spend to acquire the property using the one percent rule. Here’s the formula:

For example, let’s say a property is generating $3,500 per month in rental income. If you take 3,500 divided by .01, you get 350,000. According to the one percent rule of rental property, you shouldn’t spend more than $350,000 to purchase the property.

Example 3: Calculating How Close an Occupied Property Comes to Meeting the One Percent Rule

If you know the rental income amount and the purchase price, you can see how close an investment property comes to meeting the one percent rule by using this formula:

(Monthly rent / purchase price) x 100 = the percentage you can compare to one percent.

Say you’re considering investing in a rental property with a purchase price of $600,000 and a monthly rental income of $5,500.

If you divide 5,500 by 600,000, you get .009. Multiply that by 100 to convert it to a percentage, and you get .9%. This property would not pass the one percent test because the monthly rent amount is less than one percent of the purchase price.

What Is the One Percent Rule in Real Estate? (1)

Why the One Percent Rule Matters

The one percent real estate rule is simply a basic rule of thumb that allows investors to analyze the financial merits of a rental property in a matter of seconds. The idea is that investors would like to recoup the upfront cost of their investment property within 100 months of ownership (which would be 8.3 years).

Does the One Percent Rule Always Apply?

The fact is, there are many real estate markets in which the one percent rule simply does not apply.

The one percent rule is most relevant in slow-growth markets where real estate investors are more reliant on stable monthly cash flow than on the value of the property increasing over time.

In high-value markets, like major metro areas and most of California, for example, investors aren’t just investing in rental properties for positive cash flows, they’re also expecting to benefit from sizable appreciation over the long-term. So, investors in these markets can afford to have the monthly rents be less than one percent of the purchase price. In many Californian cities, one percent is unattainable, and investors should be looking to hit something like 0.75% instead.

Plus, as rental rates increase (like we’re seeing in hot markets like Los Angeles), properties that might not pass the one percent test in their first year get closer and closer to passing the test as time goes on.

Pros and Cons of the One Percent Rule

Benefits of the one percent rule:

  • Investors can compare rental properties quickly.
  • Investors might try using the one percent rule to negotiate a lower purchase price on an investment property.

Downsides of the one percent rule:

  • The one percent rule ignores important factors like projected appreciation and property expenses (including maintenance, property taxes, and property insurance)
  • It’s not applicable in many local real estate markets. Any market where the median rents are less than one percent of the median purchase price is not a good fit for the one percent rule.

Alternative Benchmarks to the One Percent Rule

A lack of effective planning and research is one of the biggest mistakes to avoid when investing in real estate. And this includes completing your due diligence on the financial returns of your prospective investments.

The one percent rule was never intended to be a hard-and-fast gauge for evaluating rental properties; it’s just a quick calculation you can often do in your head to get a vague idea of the investment’s feasibility. Consider these additional financial metrics in addition to the one percent rule.

2% Rule

The two percent rule works the same way as the one percent rule. It just increases the amount of monthly income required to pass the test as a “good investment.” Instead of the month rents equaling at least one percent of the purchase price, investors who follow the two percent rule expect rents to equal at least two percent of the purchase price.

It is nearly impossible to meet the 2% rule in an average real estate market. You’re most likely to hit this target on low-end properties with substantial maintenance and repair expenses. For example, a property for $80,000 that cashflows $1,600 per month would meet this real estate rule.

50% Rule

The 50 percent rule says that a property’s operating expenses (not including the mortgage payment) should cost 50 percent of the rental income or less.

With so many real estate investors underestimating the operating expenses of a property and overestimating profits, this rule is meant to give investors a realistic target for expenses and profitability.

70% Rule

The 70 percent rule typically only applies for fix-and-flip projects. This rule states that the purchase price should not exceed 70 percent of the home’s after-repair value minus the costs of renovations.

This rule is meant to give flippers a wide enough profit margin to make the project worthwhile.

Gross Rent Multiplier

A gross rent multiplier (GRM) is the ratio of the purchase price to the annual rental income. GRM does not take operating expenses like property taxes, insurance, or utilities into account.

GRM shows how many years it would take the property to pay for itself in gross rents received.

Unlike the other benchmarks we’ve looked at so far, there isn’t a result of thumb for GRM. You’re not necessarily looking to hit a specific number. But this metric is useful when comparing one asset against another to see which will pay for itself first.

Cap Rate

A cap rate in real estate is another metric used to estimate the potential ROI (return on investment). It works by dividing the net operating income by the current property value or projected purchase price.

Cap rates are most often used when evaluating commercial properties. But, since residential properties of more than four units are categorized as commercial real estate, it makes sense for sophisticated real estate investors to understand how cap rates are calculated.

Invest in Rental Property with Gatsby Investment

Traditional real estate investors need to carefully calculate many ratios to determine whether or not a rental property is a good investment. But when you invest with Gatsby Investment, all the complex financial evaluations are done for you by a seasoned team of professional real estate analysts.

Here at Gatsby, we specialize in an investment strategy called real estate syndication; we pool funds from multiple investors to finance a single real estate project (very similar to what you might think of as crowdfunding). We offer full-service project management to our investors, taking care of scouting locations, acquiring properties, securing favorable financing, renovations/construction, interior design, and ongoing property management for long-term rentals (or the resale of a short-term flip project).

Our analysts scrutinize hundreds of potential real estate investment deals for every one property we accept into our portfolio. We only offer our investors the projects with the best possible return potential.

With Gatsby, you benefit from low minimum investments, a wide range of investment types, true ownership in the underlying real estate (as opposed to the debt-equity offered by most crowdfunding platforms), and a proven track record of successful projects.

Why go it alone when you can partner with experienced industry insiders to achieve better results? Sign up with Gatsby today!

What Is the One Percent Rule in Real Estate? (2024)

FAQs

What Is the One Percent Rule in Real Estate? ›

What Is The 1% Rule In Real Estate? The 1% rule of real estate investing measures the price of the investment property

investment property
An investment property is real estate purchased to generate income (i.e., earn a return on the investment) through rental income or appreciation. Investment properties are typically purchased by a single investor or a pair or group of investors together.
https://www.rocketmortgage.com › learn › investment-property
against the gross income it will generate. For a potential investment to pass the 1% rule, its monthly rent must be equal to or no less than 1% of the purchase price.

What is the 1% rule for cash flow? ›

The 1% rule is an easy, back-of-the-napkin calculation real estate investors use when analyzing rental property. According to the rule, the gross monthly rent must be equal to or greater than 1% of the property purchase price in order for it to have positive cash flow.

Is the 1% rule still realistic? ›

The 1% rule used to be a pretty good first metric to determine whether a property would likely make a good investment. With currently inflated home prices, the 1% rule no longer applies.

What is the 100 10 3 1 rule? ›

Many real estate investors subscribe to the “100:10:3:1 rule” (or some variation of it): An investor must look at 100 properties to find 10 potential deals that can be profitable. From these 10 potential deals an investor will submit offers on 3. Of the 3 offers submitted, 1 will be accepted.

What is the 4 3 2 1 rule in real estate? ›

THE 4-3-2-1 APPROACH

This ratio allocates 40% of your income towards expenses, 30% towards housing, 20% towards savings and investments and 10% towards insurance.

How much cash flow is enough? ›

Following the 10% rule is another way to calculate the rate of average cash flow. Divide the yearly net cash flow by the amount of money that was invested in the property. If the result is over 10%. Then this is a sign of positive and a good amount of average cash flow".

What is the 2% cash flow rule? ›

The 2% rule is a rule of thumb that determines how much rental income a property should theoretically be able to generate. Following the 2% rule, an investor can expect to realize a positive cash flow from a rental property if the monthly rent is at least 2% of the purchase price.

What is the problem with the 1% rule? ›

The biggest issue with the real estate 1 percent rule is that while you try to find a property at a 6.6% Cap, you are losing money. Your loss, while your cash is sitting in the bank, is not the difference between the 5.5% Market Cap and the 6.6% Target Cap.

What is an example of the 1% rule? ›

Example of the One Percent Rule

Using the one percent rule, the owner would calculate a $2,000 monthly rent payment: $200,000 multiplied by 1%. In this case, the investor would seek a mortgage loan with monthly payments of less than and absolutely no more than $2,000.

What is a good ROI in real estate? ›

Return on investment is variable and depends on a lot of factors — there's no one-size-fits-all answer for what is considered a “good” ROI. The average annual ROI for residential real estate is currently hovering around 10 percent, so anything above that can be considered better than average.

What is 10 5 3 rule of investment? ›

The 10,5,3 rule

Though there are no guaranteed returns for mutual funds, as per this rule, one should expect 10 percent returns from long term equity investment, 5 percent returns from debt instruments. And 3 percent is the average rate of return that one usually gets from savings bank accounts.

What is the rule of 110 or 120? ›

The common rule of asset allocation by age is that you should hold a percentage of stocks that is equal to 100 minus your age. So if you're 40, you should hold 60% of your portfolio in stocks. Since life expectancy is growing, changing that rule to 110 minus your age or 120 minus your age may be more appropriate.

What is the rule of 1-10-100 1000? ›

The 1-10-100 Rule is related to what's called “the cost of quality.” Essentially, the rule states that prevention is less costly than correction is less costly than failure.

What is 50 rule in real estate? ›

Like many rules of real estate investing, the 50 percent rule isn't always accurate, but it can be a helpful way to estimate expenses for rental property. To use it, an investor takes the property's gross rent and multiplies it by 50 percent, providing the estimated monthly operating expenses. That sounds easy, right?

What is the 80% rule in real estate? ›

The 80% rule means that an insurer will only fully cover the cost of damage to a house if the owner has purchased insurance coverage equal to at least 80% of the house's total replacement value.

What is the 36 rule in real estate? ›

A household should spend a maximum of 28% of its gross monthly income on total housing expenses according to this rule, and no more than 36% on total debt service. This includes housing and other debt such as car loans and credit cards. Lenders often use this rule to assess whether to extend credit to borrowers.

What is a good monthly profit from a rental property? ›

The amount will depend on your specific situation, but a good rule of thumb is to aim for at least 10% profit after all expenses and taxes. While 10% is a good target, you may be able to make more depending on the property and the rental market.

What is a healthy cash flow? ›

Healthy cash flow is the result of operations that run efficiently and smoothly.

What is a good ROI on rental property? ›

Generally, a good ROI for rental property is considered to be around 8 to 12% or higher. However, many investors aim for even higher returns. It's important to remember that ROI isn't the only factor to consider while evaluating the profitability of a rental property investment.

What is the 50% cash flow rule? ›

The 50% rule in real estate says that investors should expect a property's operating expenses to be roughly 50% of its gross income. This is useful for estimating potential cash flow from a rental property, but it's not always foolproof.

What are the 3 items for cash flow? ›

The three categories of cash flows are operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.

What are the mistakes in cash flow? ›

Some common mistakes that can lead to cash flow issues include forced growth, miscalculation of profits, insufficient planning for a lean period or crisis, problems collecting payments and more.

Does the 1 rule include utilities? ›

Instead, it refers to things like property taxes, maintenance, and utilities. This can help you determine what your monthly cash flow will look like.

What is the definition of the 1 rule? ›

The One Definition Rule (ODR) is an important rule of the C++ programming language that prescribes that classes/structs and non-inline functions cannot have more than one definition in the entire program and template and types cannot have more than one definition by translation unit.

Who wrote the 1% rule? ›

About the author

Tommy Baker helps dreamers, visionaries, and entrepreneurs bring those dreams to life —and create a life they can't wait to wake up for. As the author of UnResolution, The 1% Rule and The Leap Of Your Life, Tommy believes living up to our potential is what we're here for.

What are the 1 2 3 rules? ›

The Mariner's 1-2-3 rule, also referred to as the Danger Rule, is an important guideline mariners follow to keep out of a tropical storm or hurricane's path. It refers to the rounded long-term National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast errors of 100-200-300 nautical miles at 24-48-72 hours, respectively.

What are the 4 1 1 rules? ›

This rule says that for every six posts you create on your social media channels, four posts should entertain or educate, one post should be a “soft sell” and one post should be a “hard sell.” Let's take a closer look at how you might use the 4-1-1 rule.

What is rule of 5 examples? ›

The divisibility rule of 5 states that if the digit on the units place, that is, the last digit of a given number is 5 or 0, then such a number is divisible by 5. For example, in 39865, the last digit is 5, hence, the number is completely divisible by 5.

What is 1 rule in real estate? ›

The 1% rule of real estate investing measures the price of the investment property against the gross income it will generate. For a potential investment to pass the 1% rule, its monthly rent must be equal to or no less than 1% of the purchase price.

What is the 2 rule in real estate? ›

This is a general rule of thumb that determines a base level of rental income a rental property should generate. Following the 2% rule, an investor can expect to realize a gross yield from a rental property if the monthly rent is at least 2% of the purchase price.

What state has the highest ROI for real estate? ›

Investors probably need no explanation why and convincing that Florida tops the list of the best states for the long term rental investment strategy. Our nationwide rental market analysis shows that, on average, you can expect the highest rate of return in the Sunshine State.

What is the 25% investment rule? ›

In public finance, the 25% rule prescribes that a public entity's total debt should not exceed one-quarter of its annual budget.

What is Rule #1 investing basics? ›

So, what exactly is Rule #1? It all started with Warren Buffett, who said "there are really just two rules of investing: Rule 1: Don't lose money; Rule 2: Don't forget rule number one." Today, you'll learn how to use Rule #1 to help you become financially independent. You're Investing In. Must Have A Good "Moat."

What is the 25% investing rule? ›

The first is the rule of 25: You should have 25 times your planned annual spending saved before you retire. That means that if you plan to spend $30,000 during your first year in retirement, you should have $750,000 invested when you walk away from your desk. $50,000? You need $1,250,000.

What is rule of 72 and rule of 115? ›

The rules of 72 and 115 provide a quick way of seeing the value and speed of compounding. These are short cuts to determine how long it takes compounded money to double and triple. To calculate how long it takes money to double, divide the interest rate into 72. To see how long money triples, divide it into 115.

Why do people say 110 and 220 instead of 120 and 240? ›

"110 volts" and "220 volts" represent an older standard that was changed to 120 and 240 volts about 75 years ago, depending on the region. This terminology is still familiar to many people and remains in use.

What is the rule of 70 to 110? ›

Say someone asks how many years is it going to take for their house to increase 6 times in price assuming it increases 10% a year. Well, since 6 = 2 x 3 you can use the rule of 70 for the doubling (70/10 = 7 years ) and then Paulo's rule of 110 for the tripling (110/10 = 11 years) to get a total of 7+11 = 18 years!

What is the rule 1 to 1000? ›

Just like each 1 means almost nothing compared to 1000. But each workout, each healthy meal, and each penny saved are all absolutely necessary in order to reach our goals. Even if individually they seem insignificant, you need each and every 1 in order to eventually get to 1000.

What is the rule of 1 10 100? ›

The 1-10-100 Rule was born from this research. In data quality, the cost of verifying a record as it is entered is $1 per record. The cost of remediation to fix errors after they are created is $10 per record. The cost of inaction is $100 per record per year.

What is the 1 10 100 rule current? ›

The rule states that… Prevention is less expensive than correction, and correction is less expensive than failure. It would make more sense to invest $1 in prevention than spend $10 on correction. Furthermore, it makes more sense to spend $10 on correction than spending $100 at the event of failure.

What is Rule 70 in real estate? ›

The 70% rule can help flippers when they're scouring real estate listings for potential investment opportunities. Basically, the rule says real estate investors should pay no more than 70% of a property's after-repair value (ARV) minus the cost of the repairs necessary to renovate the home.

What is the real estate rule of 72? ›

The Rule of 72 is a simple way to determine how long an investment will take to double given a fixed annual rate of interest. By dividing 72 by the annual rate of return, investors obtain a rough estimate of how many years it will take for the initial investment to duplicate itself.

What is the 5 and 2 real estate rule? ›

The 2-out-of-five-year rule states that you must have both owned and lived in your home for a minimum of two out of the last five years before the date of sale. However, these two years don't have to be consecutive, and you don't have to live there on the date of the sale.

What is the rule of 35 in the real estate? ›

By law, lenders can't underwrite the loan unless they can determine the borrower will be able to pay up the loan. The whole idea behind the 35-percent rule of thumb is this: a borrower can afford no more than 35% of its monthly take-home pay.

What is the 20 rule in real estate? ›

The rule, applicable in many financial, commercial, and social contexts, states that 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. For example, many researchers have found that: 80% of real estate deals are closed by 20% of the real estate teams.

What is the 20 percent rule in real estate? ›

According to the 20/10 rule, you should limit your non-housing debt to twenty percent of your annual net income and keep your monthly payments for that debt to less than ten percent of the monthly net amount.

What is the 1 10 rule in real estate? ›

A good rule is that a 1% increase in interest rates will equal 10% less you are able to borrow but still keep your same monthly payment. It's said that when interest rates climb, every 1% increase in rate will decrease your buying power by 10%. The higher the interest rate, the higher your monthly payment.

What is the 4 rule in real estate? ›

This is a simple enough question and one many investors ask when checking on their progress toward retirement. The “4% rule” is a theory that states you should be able to retire and safely withdraw 4% of your savings every year and your money should last 30 years.

What is the 3x rule for buying house? ›

If less than 20% of your income goes to pay down debt, a home that is around 4 times your income may be suitable. If more than 20% of your monthly income goes to pay down existing debts in the household, dial the purchase price to 3 times.

What is rule number 1 of investing? ›

1 – Never lose money. Let's kick it off with some timeless advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who said “Rule No. 1 is never lose money.

What is the rule of thumb for cash flow? ›

A good rule of thumb is the 1 percent rule. This is a formula that rental property investors use to size up a property's cash flow quickly. The rule stipulates that the property's total rental income should be 1 percent of the purchase price at a minimum.

What is the 50% rule cash flow? ›

The 50% rule in real estate says that investors should expect a property's operating expenses to be roughly 50% of its gross income. This is useful for estimating potential cash flow from a rental property, but it's not always foolproof.

What are the 5 principles of cash flow? ›

The five principles that form the foundations of finance cash flow are what matters, money has a time value, risk requires a reward, market prices are generally right, and conflicts of interest cause agency problems are discussed in the media.

What is Rule 69 in investment? ›

The Rule of 69 is used to estimate the amount of time it will take for an investment to double, assuming continuously compounded interest. The calculation is to divide 69 by the rate of return for an investment and then add 0.35 to the result.

Does the 1% rule matter? ›

The 1% rule is a good prescreening tool. It works well as a guide for determining a good investment from a bad one and narrowing down your choices of properties. As you review listings, apply the 1% rule to the listing price and then see if what you get is close to the median rent for the area.

What is the 80 20 rule cash flow? ›

The Pareto Principle is defined as: approximately 80 percent of the effects are derived from 20 percent of the causes. What this means in a business setting is that 80% of a company's profit comes from 20% of its customers.

What is the cash flow formula in real estate? ›

How to accurately predict cash flow in real estate. In simple terms, cash flow = total income - total expenses. Although it looks like a relatively quick and simple formula, more goes into predicting income and expenses for single-family homes than you might expect.

What is a good cash flow on an investment property? ›

Any positive cash flow is better than negative cash flow, yet it should still be substantial enough to make your investment worthwhile. Generally speaking, a cash flow of at least $100-$200 per unit can be considered good.

What is the 10 5 rule finance? ›

The 10, 5, 3 rule. This is the expected long-term return from equities 10%, bonds 5%, and cash 3%. It hasn't quite worked out like that since 2008, but it's a long term view over 20 years. It can be combined with the rule of 72, so we can see how long it takes for each asset class to approximately double in value.

What is a good cap rate? ›

Market analysts say an ideal cap rate is between five and 10 percent; the exact number will depend on the property type and location. In comparison, a cap rate lower than five percent denotes lesser risk but a more extended period to recover an investment.

What is the cap rate in real estate? ›

Calculated by dividing a property's net operating income by its asset value, the cap rate is an assessment of the yield of a property over one year. For example, a property worth $14 million generating $600,000 of NOI would have a cap rate of 4.3%.

What are the three 3 major types of cash flow? ›

There are three cash flow types that companies should track and analyze to determine the liquidity and solvency of the business: cash flow from operating activities, cash flow from investing activities and cash flow from financing activities. All three are included on a company's cash flow statement.

What are the three 3 main components of cash flow? ›

There are three sections in a cash flow statement: operating activities, investments, and financial activities.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Edmund Hettinger DC

Last Updated:

Views: 5704

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (78 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Edmund Hettinger DC

Birthday: 1994-08-17

Address: 2033 Gerhold Pine, Port Jocelyn, VA 12101-5654

Phone: +8524399971620

Job: Central Manufacturing Supervisor

Hobby: Jogging, Metalworking, Tai chi, Shopping, Puzzles, Rock climbing, Crocheting

Introduction: My name is Edmund Hettinger DC, I am a adventurous, colorful, gifted, determined, precious, open, colorful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.