Breaking Down The 1% Rule In Real Estate (2024)

When it comes to real estate investing, the 1% rule isn’t the only method to determine the best opportunities to buy a rental house. Other popular methods include the gross rent multiplier, the 70% rule and the 2% rule.

Gross Rent Multiplier

The gross rent multiplier (GRM) gauges the amount of time it takes to pay off an investment. It’s a property’s purchase price divided by its gross annual rent. The result is the total number of years it’ll take to pay off the investment only with rental income. The lower the GRM, the more lucrative the property may be.

Purchase price ∕ Gross annual rent = Years to pay off investment

Let’s say you purchase a $200,000 investment property. You charge $2,500 in monthly rent, and your annual gross rental income is $30,000 (2,500 12).

$200,000 ∕ $30,000 = 6.67 years

The property’s GRM is 6.67. So, it should take about 6 years and 7 months to pay off the property with rental income. Of course, you’ll need to consider other expenses when determining a property’s profit potential, including repair, operating and maintenance costs and vacancy rate.

You can use GRM to compare investment properties, too. If one property has a GRM of 6.67 while another has a GRM of 8.33, the property with the lower GRM (6.67) may be the better option because you should be able to pay off the investment faster. When comparing properties, make sure they’re in similar markets with similar operating, maintenance and other costs.

70% Rule

The 70% rule is for house flippers. It recommends that an investor pay no more than 70% of a home’s after-repair value (ARV) minus repair costs.

To calculate the 70% rule, multiply the home’s estimated ARV by 0.7 (70%). Take the result and subtract any estimated repair costs. The final result will be the amount you should pay for the property. Let’s look at an example.

Let’s say you’re interested in a property you estimate will have an ARV of $150,000. You also estimate you’ll need to spend about $30,000 on repairs to flip the home.

$150,000 ✕ 0.7 = $105,000 – $30,000 = $75,000

Based on the 70% rule, you shouldn’t pay more than $75,000 for the property.

2% Rule

The 2% rule works the same as the 1% rule. The 2% rule says an investment property’s monthly rent should equal at least 2% of the purchase price.

Purchase price + Repair costs ✕ 0.02 = Monthly rent

Here’s how to apply the 2% rule on a property selling for $150,000:

$150,000 ✕ 0.02 = $3,000

According to the 2% rule, your monthly mortgage payment shouldn’t exceed $3,000, and you should charge $3,000 in monthly rent.

The 2% rule is more extreme than the 1% rule – basically doubling the monthly rent amount. But it can work in certain markets and provide a financial safety net if an investor struggles to fill vacancies or needs a major, costly repair on the property.

No matter which rule you choose, you can run the numbers on a potential property to help ensure you’re making an affordable investment.

Breaking Down The 1% Rule In Real Estate (2024)

FAQs

Breaking Down The 1% Rule In Real Estate? ›

For a potential investment to pass the 1% rule, its monthly rent must equal at least 1% of the purchase price. If you want to buy an investment property, the 1% rule can be a helpful tool for finding the right property to achieve your investment goals.

How realistic is the 1% rule in real estate? ›

The 1% rule is a guideline 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.

How do you calculate the 1% rule in real estate? ›

Multiply the purchase price of the property plus any necessary repairs by 1% to determine a base level of monthly rent. Ideally, an investor should seek a mortgage loan with monthly payments of less than the 1% figure.

What is the 10 to 1 rule in real estate? ›

What is the 1 and 10 rule in real estate? The 1 and 10 rule is another real estate investment guideline that suggests that investors should aim for a gross monthly rent that is at least 1% of the property's purchase price and a net profit margin of at least 10%.

What is the 2% rule for investment property? ›

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.

Is the 1% rule outdated? ›

Initially, the 1% rule was developed in a different real estate climate when median rents exceeded home prices. Today, the market has shifted, with home appreciation rates surpassing rent growth. Relying solely on the 1% rule can lead to inaccurate assessments of a property's potential.

What is the golden rule in real estate? ›

In November, Corcoran appeared on the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast with her son Tom Higgins to describe two methods she says make up her “golden rule” of real estate investing: putting down 20% on an investment property and having tenants of that property paying for the mortgage.

Does the 1 percent rule include utilities? ›

ALSO SEE: What is the 50% Rule? The shortfall of such a simplistic metric is accuracy. The 1% rule's weakness is that it does not account for the many additional costs involved with an investment property, such as maintenance costs, insurance, property taxes, HOA fees, vacancy rates, and utilities.

Does the 1% rule work? ›

If you're in the early stages of evaluating rental properties to invest in, the 1 percent rule is a quick and easy way to estimate the minimum amount you'd have to charge in rent to make a profit. Keep in mind, however, that it's just a general rule of thumb, so you shouldn't rely on it to provide a precise figure.

What is the Brrrr method? ›

What is BRRRR, and what does it stand for? Letter by letter, BRRRR stands for “Buy, rehab, rent, refinance and repeat.” It's like flipping, but instead of selling the property after renovation, you rent it out with an eye on long-term appreciation.

What is the 80% rule in real estate? ›

It's the idea that 80% of outcomes are driven from 20% of the input or effort in any given situation. What does this mean for a real estate professional? Making more money in real estate is directly tied to focusing your personal energy on the most high value areas of your business.

What is the 25 rule in real estate? ›

To calculate how much house you can afford based on your salary, use the 25% rule—never spend more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay (after tax) on monthly mortgage payments. That includes your mortgage principal, interest, property taxes, home insurance, PMI and HOA fees.

What is the 5 2 rule in real estate? ›

During the 5 years before you sell your home, you must have at least: 2 years of ownership and. 2 years of use as a primary residence.

What is the 1% rule in multifamily? ›

The 1% rule states that a rental property's income should be at least 1% of the purchase price. For example, if a rental property is purchased for $200,000, the monthly rental income should be at least $2,000.

How much monthly profit should you make on a rental property? ›

It is generally recommended to aim for an ROI of 10-15%. However, the ROI that is considered “good” or “bad” is dependent on an individual's financial standing and the particular property they choose to invest in.

What is the 1% rule and the 2% rule? ›

The 1% rule states that a property's monthly rent must be at least 1% of its purchase price in order for the owner to break even. The 2% rule states that a property's monthly rent needs to be at least 2% of its purchase price in order for the owner to make a sustainable profit.

What cap rate is the 1% rule? ›

It states that the monthly rent of a property should be equal to or greater than 1% of the total investment in the property. The 1% rule can help you quickly screen properties and compare them based on their rental income potential.

Why is there a 70% rule in real estate? ›

The 70% rule helps home flippers determine the maximum price they should pay for an investment property. Basically, they should spend no more than 70% of the home's after-repair value minus the costs of renovating the property.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ray Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 6018

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ray Christiansen

Birthday: 1998-05-04

Address: Apt. 814 34339 Sauer Islands, Hirtheville, GA 02446-8771

Phone: +337636892828

Job: Lead Hospitality Designer

Hobby: Urban exploration, Tai chi, Lockpicking, Fashion, Gunsmithing, Pottery, Geocaching

Introduction: My name is Ray Christiansen, I am a fair, good, cute, gentle, vast, glamorous, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.