BUYERS & INVESTORS · FREE TOOL
Quick Deal Screener
Cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR and break-even occupancy in about 45 seconds.
The back-of-napkin screen I run before a property is worth a second look. It gives you the two numbers most free calculators skip — DSCR, which is what your lender actually decides on, and break-even occupancy, which tells you how empty the building can get before you're feeding it every month.
Your numbers
Pre-filled with realistic DFW-market estimates. Change anything — results update as you type.
DFW stabilized assets typically underwrite 5–10%.
Taxes, insurance, CAM, management. Used for break-even occupancy.
Every input is saved in the link — text it to a partner and they'll see the exact same scenario.
CAP RATE
6.96%
$174,000 NOI on a $2,500,000 purchase
Cash-on-cash return
2.78%
DSCR
1.15x
NOI ÷ annual debt service
Break-even occupancy
85.6%
Annual cash flow
$22,211
Annual debt service
$151,789
Monthly debt service
$12,649
Loan amount
$1,750,000
Cash required to close
$800,000
Price per SF
$125.00
Balloon balance (yr 5)
$1,600,393
Net operating income
$174,000
Deal size band
$1M–$5M
DSCR of 1.15x is below the 1.25x most lenders want on this asset type. Expect a lower loan amount or a rate premium.
Break-even occupancy of 85.6% is thin margin for vacancy — one tenant rolling could put this deal underwater.
Want this as a clean one-page PDF you can send to your lender?
Branded, dated, every input and output laid out. Downloads instantly and lands in your inbox so it's easy to forward.
Questions people ask
What DSCR do commercial lenders require?
Most conventional lenders underwrite to a 1.25x debt service coverage ratio on stabilized office, retail and industrial. Riskier asset types and shorter-term tenancy can push that to 1.30–1.40x.
What is break-even occupancy?
The occupancy level where rental income exactly covers operating expenses plus debt service. Above roughly 85% the deal has very little cushion for vacancy.
Do Texas property taxes change after I buy?
Frequently, yes. Texas appraisal districts reassess annually and commonly move a property's value toward the actual sale price the year after closing. Underwrite the reassessed number, not the seller's current tax bill.
Numbers are a starting point.
Thirty years in DFW and Austin means I know which of these assumptions the market will actually support. Send me your scenario and I'll tell you straight.
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