How Ironclad is the 1% rule in Real Estate Investing? (2024)

Last updated on February 4, 2022

One of the most challenging things about being a real estate investor is deciding which property to invest in out of all of the choices available. The 1% rule is a shortcut investors use to quickly narrow down investment options to help find the right property before another buyer steals the deal.

But is it the right way to analyze a property? Let’s learn more about this “rule” and the pros and cons of using it.

→View investment properties on our marketplace that meet the 1% rule

Key takeaways

  • The 1% rule states that the gross monthly rent should be equal to or greater than 1% of the property purchase price or value in order for it to be deemed a cash-flowing property.
  • To calculate the rent-to-price ratio to see if a property meets the 1% rule, divide the monthly rent by the purchase price.
  • One of the drawbacks of the 1% rule is that operating expenses are not taken into account.
  • In addition to the 1% rule, real estate investors use the 50% rule and cap rate calculation to gain a better idea of potential returns.

What is the 1% rule in real estate?

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.

Because there are other metrics such as operating expenses, cap rate, and long-term appreciation to consider, the 1% rule isn’t set in stone. In other words, if the rent is 1% or less of the purchase price, the property may still be a good option depending on an individual investor’s goals. Dividing the rent by the purchase price is also known as the rent-to-price ratio.

With that in mind, the rule can be a good way to initially screen potential investments by ballparking what the cash flow from a property could be.

Using the 1% rule for rental property

To calculate the 1% rule, simply multiply the property purchase price by 1%. The result is the minimum monthly rent that the home should generate. If a property needs immediate updating, such as new appliances or carpeting, the cost of improvements should be added to the purchase price.

Assume an investor is thinking about purchasing a single-family rental (SFR) home with an asking price of $125,000. Based on the 1% rule, the home should generate a monthly rent of at least $1,250:

  • $125,000 purchase price x 1% (0.01) = $1,250 gross rent per month

If the home requires immediate repairs, the cost of the needed work would be added to the purchase price before using the 1% rule. If needed repairs total $15,000, the property should rent for at least $1,400 per month:

  • $125,000 purchase price + $15,000 repairs = $140,000 x 1% (0.01) = $1,400 gross rent per month

The 1% rule also can be used on rental property that is already rented to a tenant. For example, let’s say a single-family home priced at $150,000 is generating a gross monthly rent of $1,400 per month. By rearranging the 1% rule, an investor can quickly tell whether the property passes the test:

  • Property price or value x 1% (0.01) = Gross monthly rent
  • Property price = Gross monthly rent / 1% (0.01)
  • $1,400 gross monthly rent / 0.01 = $140,000 property price or value

In this example, a home rented for $1,400 with an asking price of $150,000 does not pass the 1% rule. That could be due to a variety of reasons. Maybe there is room to raise the rent, the property is overpriced, or the home is in a seller’s market where there are more buyers than there are homes available for sale.

Pros and cons of the 1% rule

As with any other quick and easy financial calculation, there are pros and cons to be aware of when using the 1% rule.

One of the advantages of the 1% rule is that it is a good formula for prescreening and comparing rental properties to one another. If an investor is analyzing 10 potential rental properties to invest in and 8 pass the 1% rule, those 8 homes may be worth a closer look and the 2 that don’t pass the test might be set aside.

There are also times when an investor may look at a property even if the home doesn’t pass the test. For example, an investor focused more on appreciation than cash flow may find that homes in rapidly appreciating real estate markets don’t always meet the 1% rule because it might take up to a year for the fair market rents to catch up.

One of the drawbacks of the 1% rule is that there are a variety of factors that the rule doesn’t take into account, such as repairs and maintenance, property taxes, homeowner association (HOA) dues, or the neighborhood ranking. The Roofstock Neighborhood Rating index is a good free tool to use to better understand the potential risks and rewards of different neighborhoods.

Items like these may have a significant impact on potential return on investment (ROI) even when a property generates enough rent compared to the purchase price to pass the 1% rule.

To illustrate, let’s look at two similar SFR homes:

SFR #1SFR #2
Purchase price$125,000$125,000
Gross monthly rent$1,250$1,100
Rent-to-price ratio1.00%0.88%
Operating expenses$800$550
Cash flow$450$550

At first glance, SFR #1 appears to be the better investment. After all, it has a higher monthly rent compared to the purchase price and passes the 1% rule.

However, operating expenses are significantly greater, maybe due to higher property taxes or an older home requiring a lot of ongoing repairs. Based on the potential cash flow before paying the mortgage, SFR #2 may be the more profitable investment based on this example.

Other real estate calculations to know

In addition to the 1% rule, there are several other real estate calculations an investor can use when analyzing a rental property:

2% rule

The 2% rule is a more stringent version of the 1% rule. In order to pass the 2% rule, the gross monthly rent must be equal to at least 2% of the property value or purchase price. The 2% rule may be a good calculation to use in less expensive markets, or for a home that will need a significant amount of repair in the next few years.

50% rule

The 50% rule assumes that operating expenses, excluding the mortgage payment, will run about half of the gross rental income. Looking back at the 2 SFRs in the previous section, SFR #2 meets the 50% rule, while operating expenses in SFR #1 run 64% of the gross rent.

70% rule

Investors who fix and flip homes or purchase property that needs a significant amount of repairs and updating use the 70% rule. The rule states that an investor should pay no more than 70% of the after repair value (ARV) of a home, less the cost of repairs.

For example, if the projected ARV of a home is $150,000 and the estimated repairs are $25,000, the maximum purchase price based on the 70% rule would be $80,000:

  • $150,000 ARV x 70% = $105,000 - $25,000 estimated repairs = $80,000 maximum purchase price

Gross rent multiplier

The gross rent multiplier or GRM forecasts how long it will take to pay for a property based on the gross rental income. As a rule of thumb, the lower the GRM is, the more gross rent there is relative to the purchase price, and the more profitable an investment could be. To illustrate, let’s look at the GRMs of 2 single-family rentals:

  • SFR #1: $125,000 purchase price / $15,000 gross annual rent = 8.33 GRM
  • SFR #2: $125,000 purchase price / $13,200 gross annual rent = 9.47 GRM

On paper, SFR #1 appears to be the better investment based on the GRM. However, one of the biggest drawbacks of the GRM is that it doesn’t factor in operating expenses. As the previous section illustrated, even though SFR #1 passed the 1% rule and has a lower GRM, SFR #2 generates a larger amount of potential cash flow due to lower operating expenses.

Cap rate

The cap rate calculation overcomes the drawbacks of the 1% rule and GRM by taking into account a property’s operating expenses. Cap rate is the percentage rate of return calculated by dividing net operating income (NOI) by the property purchase price. NOI is determined by subtracting operating expenses (excluding the mortgage payment) from gross rental income. The higher the cap rate is the greater the return will be, everything else being equal:

  • SFR #1: $15,000 gross annual rent - $9,600 operating expenses = $5,400 NOI / $125,000 purchase price = 0.043 or 4.3% cap rate
  • SFR #2: $13,200 gross annual rent - $6,600 operating expenses = $6,600 NOI / $125,000 purchase price = 0.053 or 5.3% cap rate

Based on the cap rate calculation, SFR #2 is the better buy in this example, even though the home didn’t pass the 1% rule and has a higher GRM.

Wrapping up

The 1% rule in real estate is a quick and easy calculation investors use to help decide which potential investments are worth taking a closer look at. However, the 1% rule doesn’t take into account property operating expenses that can have a significant impact on returns. That’s why, in addition to the 1% rule, investors also use calculations such as the 50% rule and cap rate calculation to estimate operating expenses and potential return.

How Ironclad is the 1% rule in Real Estate Investing? (1)

How Ironclad is the 1% rule in Real Estate Investing? (2024)

FAQs

How does the 1% rule work 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.

Is the 1% rule in real estate realistic? ›

The 1% rule is a guideline that real estate investors use to choose viable investment options for their portfolios. Although the rule has helped many investors make wise decisions regarding their investment properties, the current real estate market may make following the 1% rule unrealistic.

Does the 1% rule still work? ›

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 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 the 4-3-2-1 rule in real estate? ›

4-3-2-1 rule

The front quarter of the standard site receives 40% of the total value. The second quarter receives 30% of the total value. The third quarter receives 20% of the total value; and the rear quarter receives just 10% of the total value.

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.

What cap rate is the 1 rule? ›

The 1% rule is a strategy used in real estate investing to determine your cap rate. It states that when evaluating properties, investors should calculate monthly rent to be at least 1% of the total purchase price.

What is the 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 70% rule real estate? ›

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. The ARV of a property is the amount a home could sell for after flippers renovate it.

What is the 1% rule of getting better? ›

Getting better by just 1% consistently can build to tremendous improvements, and over time can make a big difference to our success. It's called the principle of 'aggregate marginal gains', and is the idea that if you improve by just 1% consistently, those small gains will add up to remarkable improvement.

Does the 1% rule apply to Airbnb? ›

A successful Airbnb investor is one who knows what's Airbnb legal and acts accordingly. For those living in cities with high home price to rent ratios, it's impossible to meet the 1% or 2% rule. This rule states the minimum rent should be equal to or greater than 1% of the purchase price.

What is a good rate of return on rental property? ›

The 2% rule in real estate is another simple way to calculate ROI for rental properties. According to this rule, if the monthly rent for a rental property is at least 2% of its purchase price, then odds are it should generate positive cash flow.

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 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.

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 the 25 rule in real estate? ›

To calculate how much house you can afford, use the 25% rule—never spend more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay (after tax) on monthly mortgage payments.

What is the rule of 7 in real estate? ›

[00:01:12] This comes down to the rule of seven the rule of seven is a marketing concept that was developed actually in the 1930s and it goes like this the prospect needs to hear your service offering or your advertisem*nt at least seven times before they start to recognize you or take action on what it is you're ...

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.

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".

Is 7.5% a good cap rate? ›

Generally, a high capitalization rate will indicate a higher level of risk, while a lower capitalization rate indicates lower returns but lower risk. That said, many analysts consider a "good" cap rate to be around 5% to 10%, while a 4% cap rate indicates lower risk but a longer timeline to recoup an investment.

Is the 2% rule realistic? ›

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 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 40 rule in real estate? ›

SaaS KPI Metric: Rule of 40 Guideline by Brad Feld

In recent years, the 40% rule has gained widespread usage as a popularized measure of growth by SaaS investors. The Rule of 40 states that if a company's revenue growth rate were to be added to its profit margin, the total should exceed 40%.

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 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 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 is 70 30 in real estate? ›

A typical multi-family split between investors and sponsors is 70/30, meaning that seventy percent goes to investors pro rata and thirty percent to the sponsor.

What does 70 30 mean in real estate? ›

NIC MAP Vision | Senior Housing | Skilled Nursing. Key Takeaway: In absence of local data, feasibility analysts use the so called “70/30” rule, where 70% of a PMA's potential residents come from within the PMA and the remaining 30% come from outside the PMA.

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.

How can I get better 1% everyday? ›

Try to do just 1% better than the day before.

Start small and make your increases gradual. Avoid the temptation to get impatient and start rushing forward and taking bigger leaps. Take it slow, steady, and consistent. Simply try to do a little bit better than you did the day before.

What is an example of a 1% improvement? ›

Your Morning Routine

It takes you 40 minutes to get ready for work. That's 2400 seconds. A 1% improvement would be 24 seconds. You realize you could achieve that by keeping all your lunch-making supplies in the same cupboard, rather than needing to open three.

How does the IRS know if I have rental income? ›

Ways the IRS can find out about rental income include routing tax audits, real estate paperwork and public records, and information from a whistleblower. Investors who don't report rental income may be subject to accuracy-related penalties, civil fraud penalties, and possible criminal charges.

How do you know if a property is a good investment? ›

The One-Percent Rule

It's a tool that you can use to determine if a property deserves a closer look. All the one-percent rule says is that a property should rent for one-percent or more of its total upfront cost. For example: A property that costs $100,000 should rent for at least $1,000 per month.

What is the 0.8 rule in real estate? ›

This general guideline suggests that you charge around 1% (or within 0.8-1.1%) of your property's total market value as monthly rent payments. A property valued at $200,000, for instance, would rent for $2,000 a month, or within a range of $1,600-$2,200.

Where is ROI the highest for real estate? ›

What state has the highest ROI on real estate? The state with the highest one-year ROI on residential single-family homes is Arizona with 27.42 percent, according to iPropertyManagement data. The next two highest states are Utah with 27.05 percent and Idaho with 27.02 percent.

Is 7% ROI on rental property good? ›

A good ROI for a rental property is typically more than 10%, but 5%–10% can also be acceptable. But the ROI may be lower in the first year, due to the upfront costs of buying a home. A fixer-upper may offer more upfront savings as their average list price is 25% lower than turnkey homes.

Are REITs better than rental property? ›

For those who don't want to hassle with finding tenants or maintenance, REITs may be the better choice. For those who want more power over returns, rental properties might be your best bet.

Who is Tommy Baker? ›

Baker is an international law enforcement consultant. For years Tommy Baker has led a group of week-end bikers on rides literally all across America. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide.

What is an example of rule by one? ›

A system in which the laws and resources of a nation are controlled by one individual, usually a monarch or dictator, who holds absolute political power. Examples include the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, the Roman emperors and the North Korean Supreme Leaders.

What is rule number 33? ›

Rule 33(b) declares that an interrogatory is not objectionable merely because it calls for an opinion or contention that relates either to fact or to the application of law to fact.

What does rule number 5 mean? ›

(1) Appearance Upon an Arrest. (A) A person making an arrest within the United States must take the defendant without unnecessary delay before a magistrate judge, or before a state or local judicial officer as Rule 5(c) provides, unless a statute provides otherwise.

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 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 10 3 2 1 0? ›

10 hours before bed – cut out caffeine. 3 hours before bed – stop drinking alcohol. 2 hours before bed – stop working. 1 hour before bed – turn off your screens.

What are the rules of a 1 percent? ›

The 1 Percent Rule states that over time the majority of the rewards in a given field will accumulate to the people, teams, and organizations that maintain a 1 percent advantage over the alternatives. You don't need to be twice as good to get twice the results. You just need to be slightly better.

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.

Is the Rule of 72 still accurate? ›

The Rule of 72 is reasonably accurate for low rates of return. The chart below compares the numbers given by the Rule of 72 and the actual number of years it takes an investment to double. Notice that although it gives an estimate, the Rule of 72 is less precise as rates of return increase.

How much of your portfolio should be in real estate? ›

The decision of how much real estate to own in your portfolio is personal. If you're looking for a rule of thumb, adding 5% to 10% to your portfolio is a reasonable range. However, the best approach is to discuss with your financial advisor how adding real estate would best advance your goals.

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