Most beginners spend 30 minutes analyzing a rental deal…

And still don’t know if it’s good.

That’s the problem.

Real estate decisions are expensive.
One bad deal can cost you thousands.

But the way people make those decisions?

Guessing.
Overthinking.
Or relying on incomplete numbers.

So I built RentPilot.

A tool that filters deals in seconds
and gives you a clear BUY or PASS — without the overthinking.

You don’t need another spreadsheet.

You need a decision.

Try RentPilot.

If you're evaluating your first rental property, you've probably heard the "1% rule" — if monthly rent is at least 1% of the purchase price, it's a good deal.

In 2026, that rule barely works anywhere worth investing.

Here's what I actually look at:

Cash-on-cash return > 8%

This tells you how hard your actual dollars are working. Forget the property value — how much cash are you putting in, and how much are you getting back each year?

Monthly cash flow > $200 after ALL expenses

Not just mortgage. I mean taxes, insurance, vacancy (budget 5-8%), maintenance (budget 10%), and property management (even if you self-manage — your time has a cost).

Cap rate > 6% in your market

Below 6%, you're basically betting on appreciation. That's speculation, not investing.

The break-even occupancy test

How many months can your unit sit empty before you're underwater? If the answer is less than 2 months, the deal is too tight.

I built RentPilot to run all of these numbers in under 30 seconds. No spreadsheet gymnastics. Just plug in the deal and get a clear answer.

Stop guessing. Start calculating.