Cap Rate vs. Cash on Cash
Two Metrics for Real Estate Investing
Cap rate and cash on cash return are two significant measurements that investors and financial backers use to dissect investment property, however every estimation is utilized for various reasons.
There are three critical contrasts between the cap rate and cash on cash return calculations:
Financing Costs
Home loan credit costs are rejected from the cap rate estimation however remembered for the cash on cash return. By excluding financing costs in the cap rate, financial backers can make a superior consistent correlation of comparable properties in a similar region, since how a property is financed and the measure of influence utilized fluctuates starting with one financial backer then onto the next.
Financing costs are incorporated when computing cash on cash return, to gauge how much benefit is gotten for every dollar contributed. For instance, a few financial backers like to utilize a traditionalist LTV of 75%, while different purchasers with a momentary hold (like fix-and-flippers) put down as minimal expenditure as could really be expected.
All Cash Scenario
For financial backers who pay for a property all in real money, the cap rate and cash on cash return results are something very similar. One more perspective with regards to cash on cash return is that the recipe accepts you are getting a credit to buy the home, by following the rule of OPM (others' cash or other people's money).
Condition Itself
Finally, the denominator utilized in the cap rate and cash on cash return recipes is unique. In the cap rate estimation, the base number is the price tag or market esteem. With the cash on cash return equation, the base number is the measure of money contributed, like the property initial installment.
Presently we should take a look at how investors figure and use cap rate and cash on cash return.
Calculating Cash on Cash
Cash on cash return provides investors with a more specific indication of potential financial performance based on the amount of leverage being used. The cash on cash return formula measures the net cash flow as a percentage of the total amount of cash invested.
Unlike the cap rate formula which should only be used to compare similar properties in the same market, the cash on cash return formula can be used to compare potential cash returns between properties in different real estate markets.
Cash on Cash Return Formula and Calculation
The cash on cash return formula looks like this:
Cash on Cash Return = Annual Cash Flow (after debt service) / Total Cash Invested
Let’s assume you purchase a $150,000 single-family rental home with a conservative down payment of 25%. The total cash invested is $37,500 ($150,000 x 25% down payment). By deducting annual mortgage payments (P&I) of $5,675 from the NOI of $10,500, your annual cash flow is $4,824.
The cash on cash return is:
$4,824 Annual Cash Flow / $25,000 Total Cash Invested = 19.3%
If you pay all cash for the property, your cash on cash return is the same as your cap rate, because there are no mortgage payments that reduce your cash flow:
$10,500 Annual Cash Flow / $150,000 Total Cash Invested = 7%
Or, if you could use a lower down payment of 10%. In this case, the total cash invested is $15,000 and your annual cash flow after the mortgage payments is $3,696 ($10,500 NOI – $6,804 mortgage payments P&I):
$3,696 Annual Cash Flow / $15,000 Total Cash Invested = 24.6%
What is a Good Cash on Cash Return?
Comparing the return you would receive on your cash if you invested it somewhere else is a good way to think about what good cash on cash return is.
For example, a “risk-free” investment like a 10-year Treasury currently yields about 1.7%. On the other hand, the High Yield Bond ETF (HYLD) has an annual dividend yield of about 7.3% (May 2021).
That makes the cash on cash return on real estate look pretty good, especially given all of the additional tax benefits real estate receives, such as depreciation expense to reduce taxable net income.
Other Financial Formulas and Guidelines to Know
In addition to cap rate and cash on cash return, other financial formulas and metrics that Memphis Real Estate Investors, LLC use include:
ROI (return on investment)
Gain on Investment – Cost of Investment / Cost of Investment
$175,000 Gain on Investment – $125,000 Cost of Investment / $125,000 Cost of Investment = 40% ROI
IRR (internal rate of return)
Calculating IRR is complicated, so it’s best to use an online calculator such as IRRCalculator.net.
If the $125,000 rental property generates annual cash flow of $2,664 and is sold after five years for $175,000, the IRR is 8.84%
Rent/Cost
Monthly Rent / Property Price
$1,200 Monthly Rent / $125,000 Property Price = 1% which is the minimum that most investors look for
DSCR (debt service coverage ratio)
DSCR = NOI / Annual Debt Service
$7,200 NOI / $4,536 Annual Debt Service = 1.59 DSCR which is above the 1.2 ratio that many lenders like to see