How to screen cash flow before you buy

A practical checklist for using rent, debt service, vacancy, repairs, and reserves to reject weak rental deals early.

What to check first

Start with the numbers that can kill a deal quickly: rent, debt service, vacancy, reserves, repairs, and the amount of cash tied up on day one. If those do not clear your minimum return, the deeper report can wait.

Where Flowguard fits

The public calculator is for fast rejection and early confidence. A free account is for saving the few properties that remain interesting. Paid workflows are for reports, advanced analysis, and higher deal volume.

• Use the calculator before emotional commitment sets in.
• Save only the deals you would genuinely revisit.
• Upgrade when reports or expanded limits become part of the workflow.