The free investor toolkit
Do the homework. Keep the work.
Useful housing research tools, open to everyone. No account, email gate, or paid data subscription required.
Start with a question. Leave with a calculation, a comparison, or a clearer list of what to verify.
Rental cash flow & comparison
Run a base and downside case. Save up to three sets of assumptions, compare them, and export a file you can reopen.
Cash flow · Debt coverage · Cash requiredOpen free toolOffer-price calculator
Start with your cash flow target and explore the purchase-price ceiling implied by rent, costs, reserves, and financing.
Target cash flow · Price ceiling · Initial cashOpen free toolProperty due-diligence notebook
Keep track of what is documented, estimated, or missing. Add your sources and next actions, then export your review packet.
Evidence · Questions · Portable notesOpen free toolOfficial research library
Find public housing data, parcel records, planning departments, and risk resources—with geography and access notes.
23 sources · 6 city starting pointsOpen free toolTake it offline
A rental review checklist to keep.
Download a blank checklist for your spreadsheet, or use the interactive notebook to save sources and next actions as you research.
A useful order of operations
- Frame the market. Use dated city snapshots to decide what you need to investigate locally.
- Collect property evidence. Inspect comparable rents, condition, taxes, insurance, financing, and permitted use. Record missing items in the notebook.
- Test the assumptions. Compare cash flow under different conditions. A calculator can reveal sensitivity; it cannot establish that an assumption is true.
- Keep a review copy. Export your work before switching devices or clearing browser data. Revisit the model when you receive better evidence.
These tools use hypothetical inputs and reviewed public sources. They do not source active listings, verify properties, or recommend an investment. Read the methods and limitations.