Investment / Investor
analysis "Terms" definitions |
| 1) Capitalization Rate |
| 2) Cash on Cash Return |
| 3) Debt Coverage Ratio |
| 4) Depreciation |
| 5) Gross Rent Multiplier |
| 6) After-Tax IRR |
| 7) Loan-to-Value Ratio |
| 8) MIRR for Future Wealth |
| 9) Net Income Multiplier |
| 10) Leverage |
|
|
| Capitalization Rate: Back to Menu |
| The Capitalization Rate or "Cap Rate" is a ratio used to estimate the value of income |
| producing properties. Put simply, it is the net operating income divided by the sales |
| price or value of a property expressed as a percentage. It is one of many financial |
| tools used by investors, lenders and appraisers to establish a reasonable purchase |
| price for a given investment property in a specific market. |
| Cap rates may vary in different areas of a city for many reasons such as desirability |
| of location, level of crime and general condition of an area. Investors expect larger |
| returns when investing in high risk income properties. In a real estate market |
| where net operating incomes are increasing and cap rates are declining over time |
| for a given type of investment property such as office buildings, values will be |
| generally increasing. If cap rates are increasing over time and net operating |
| incomes are decreasing for residential income property in a particular market |
| place, residential income property values will be declining. If you would like to |
| find out what the cap rate is for a particular type of property in a given market, |
| check with an appraiser or lender in that area. Since the frequency of sales for |
| commercial income properties in a given market place may be low, reliable cap |
| rate data may not be available. |
| If you are able to obtain cap rate data from an appraiser or lender for the type of |
| property you are evaluating, check to see if the cap rate value was determined with |
| recent sales of comparable properties or if it was constructed. When adequate |
| financial data is unavailable, appraisers may construct a cap rate through analysis |
| of it's component parts thus reducing the credibility of the results. Cap rates which |
| are determined by evaluating the recent actions of buyers and sellers in a particular |
| market place will produce the best market value estimate for a property. |
| If you are able to obtain reliable cap rate data, you can then use this information to |
| estimate what similar income properties should sell for. This will help you to gauge |
| whether or not the asking price for a particular piece of property is over or under |
| priced. |
| NOI NOI |
| Cap Rate = -------- Estimated Value = ------------- |
| Value Cap Rate |
| Example 1: A property has a NOI of $155,000 and the asking price is $1,200,000. |
| $155,000 |
| Cap Rate = -------------- 100 = 12.9 rounded |
| $1,200,000 |
| Example 2: A property has a NOI of $120,000 and Cap Rates in the area for this |
| type of property are 12%. |
| $120,000 |
| Estimated Market Value = ------------ = $1,000,000 |
| .12 |
| Net operating income is equal to gross income minus the vacancy amount |
| and operating expenses. Operating expenses include such items as advertising, |
| insurance, maintenance, property taxes, property management, repairs, supplies |
| and utilities and does not include depreciation, interest and amortization. |
| Appraisers use the Income Approach, Cost Replacement and Market Comparison |
| methods to estimate the value of property. The Income Approach utilizes the |
| theory of Capitalization. |
|
|
| Cash on Cash Return: Back to Menu |
| Cash on Cash Return is a percentage that measures the return on cash invested in an |
| income producing property. It is calculated by dividing before-tax cash flow by the |
| amount of cash invested and is expressed as a percentage. If before-tax cash flow for |
| an investment property is equal to $15,000 and our cash invested in the property is |
| $100,000, cash on cash return is equal to 15%. |
| Before-Tax Cash Flow $15,000 |
| Cash on Cash Return = ------------------------------ 100 = ------------- 100 = 15% |
| Cash Invested $100,000 |
| The following shows how before-tax cash flow is derived. |
| Gross Income 54,500 |
| Less Vacancy Amount 2,500 |
| Gross Operating Income 52,000 |
| Less Operating Expenses 17,000 |
| Net Operating Income 35,000 |
| Less Annual Debt Service 20,000 |
| Before-Tax Cash Flow 15,000 |
| Cash on Cash Return is used to evaluate the profitability of income producing |
| properties. It can be useful when comparing investment properties, but is just |
| one of many analysis tools. It only considers before-tax cash flow and doesn't |
| take into account an investors individual income tax situation and it doesn't consider |
| the wealth building potential of a property via appreciation. A property in one area |
| of a city may have a better Cash on Cash Return then a property in another |
| location, but it may not appreciate as fast because of it's location. One location |
| may be more desirable than the other. |
|
|
| Debt Coverage Ratio (DCR): Back to Menu |
| Also known as Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR). The debt coverage ratio is |
| a widely used benchmark which measures an income producing property's ability |
| to cover the monthly mortgage payments. The DCR is calculated by dividing the |
| net operating income (NOI) by the annual debt service. Annual debt service is |
| equal to the annual total of all interest and principal paid for all loans on a property. |
| A debt coverage ratio of less than 1 indicates that there is inadequate cash flow |
| generated by an income property to cover the mortgage payments. For example, a |
| DCR of .9 indicates a negative cash flow. There is only enough income available |
| to pay 90% of the annual mortgage payments or debt service. A property |
| with a DCR of 1.25 generates 1.25 times as much annual income as the annual |
| debt service on the property. In this example, the property creates 25% more |
| income than is required to cover the annual debt service. |
| Example: We are considering buying an investment property with a net operating |
| income of $24,000 and annual debt service of $20,000. The DCR for this property |
| would be equal to 1.2. This means that it generates 20% more annual income than |
| is required to cover the annual mortgage payment amount. |
| Net Operating Income $24,000 |
| Debt Coverage Ratio = ------------------------------ = ----------- = 1.2 |
| Annual Debt Service $20,000 |
| Many lending institutions require a minimum debt coverage ratio value to procure |
| a loan for income producing properties. DCR requirements for lending institutions |
| may vary from as low as 1.1 to as high as 1.35. From a lending institutions |
| perspective, the higher the DCR value, the more income there is available to cover |
| the debt service and thus the less the risk. |
| Net Operating Income (NOI) is calculated as follows. |
| Income |
| Gross Rents Possible 35,000 |
| Other Income 2,000 |
| Total Gross Income 37,000 |
| Less Vacancy Amount 3,000 |
| Gross Operating Income 34,000 |
| Less Operating Expenses 10,000 |
| Net Operating Income 24,000 |
| Operating Expenses include the following items; advertising, insurance, |
| maintenance, property taxes, property management, repairs, supplies and |
| utilities. |
|
|
| Depreciation: Back to Menu |
| Depreciation is the loss in value of an asset / building over time due to wear and |
| tear, physical deterioration and age. The cost of reproducing an income property |
| can be recovered over the useful life of the asset which is determined by law. Only |
| the building can be depreciated and not the land. Residential income property must |
| be depreciated over a 27.5 year period using straight line depreciation. Commercial |
| income property must be depreciated over 39 years using straight line depreciation. |
| Straight line depreciation stipulates that an asset must be depreciated by equal |
| amounts each year over its useful life. |
| Example: You purchase a warehouse for $900,000. The land where the warehouse |
| resides is valued at $120,000. The building is valued at $780,000. Current law |
| allows you to depreciate commercial properties by equal amounts annually over 39 |
| years. Your depreciation deduction for the first year is based on the mid month |
| convention. The day of the month that you purchase the property doesn't matter. |
| You can only deduct half of the first months depreciation. If you put the warehouse |
| into service on June 1, you are allowed to deduct 6 and 1/2 months of depreciation |
| for the first year. |
| 780,000 |
| ----------- = $20,000 |
| 39 |
| 20,000 |
| First Year Depreciation = 6.5 ( --------- ) = $10,833 |
| 12 |
| Accountants calculate a full year of depreciation for the above warehouse |
| (commercial properties) by multiplying 2.56 % times 780,000 which equals 19968. |
| A full year of depreciation for residential income properties would be calculated |
| by multiplying 3.64 % times the building basis. |
| The depreciation deductions that you write-off in any year reduce you taxable |
| income thus increasing your profit for that year. |
| Capital improvements are subject to the same depreciation laws. Capital |
| improvements include the following; a new roof, a new furnace, an addition to a |
| building, siding, etc. |
| Example: You have owned the above warehouse for about 7 years now and it is in |
| need of a new roof. The cost of the new roof is $19,500. You are allowed to |
| depreciate thecost of the roof over 39 years. If you put the new roof on in July, you |
| are allowed to deduct 5 and 1/2 months of depreciation in the first year. |
| 19,500 |
| --------- = $500 |
| 39 |
| 500 |
| First Year Depreciation (roof) = 5.5 ( ----- ) = $229 |
| 12 |
| Accountants would calculate a full year of depreciation for the roof by multiplying |
| 2.56 % times $19,500 which equal 499. |
| All depreciation amounts that you write-off in each year for the building and |
| capital improvements reduce your adjusted basis for the property thus increasing |
| the taxable profit you must declare when you sell. |
|
|
| Gross Rent Multiplier: Back to Menu |
| The Gross Rent Multiplier or GRM is a ratio that is used to estimate the value |
| of income producing properties. It can be a useful estimation tool when current |
| and detailed financial information is available for similar properties in a |
| particular area or market. If current information is available, the average GRM |
| of similar properties sold in an area can then be used to estimate the value of |
| other like properties. The GRM is calculated by dividing the sales price by either |
| the monthly potential gross income or by dividing the sales price by the yearly |
| potential gross income. |
| Example 1: If the sales price for a property is $200,000 and the monthly potential |
| gross rental income for a property is $2,500, the GRM is equal to 80. Monthly |
| potential gross income is equal to the full occupancy monthly rental amount which |
| assumes all available rental units are occupied. Generally speaking, properties in |
| prime locations have higher GRM's than properties in less desirable locations. |
| When comparing similar properties in the same area or location, the lower the GRM, |
| the more profitable the property from an income perspective. This statement |
| assumes that operating expenses are proportionate for the properties being |
| compared. Since the GRM calculation doesn't include operating expenses, this |
| statement might not hold true for similar properties where one of the properties |
| has significantly higher operating expenses. |
| Sales Price $200,000 |
| GRM (monthly) = ------------------------------------------- = ------------ = 80 |
| Monthly Potential Gross Income $2,500 |
| Example 2: We have several similar properties that have sold recently and their |
| average monthly GRM is 80. We can use this information to estimate the value |
| of comparable properties for sale. If our monthly potential gross income for a |
| property is equal to $3,000, we would estimate its value in the following way. |
| Estimated Market Value = GRM Potential Gross Income |
| = 80 $3,000 = $240,000 |
| The GRM can provide a rough property value estimate when consistent and |
| accurate financial information is available, but you should be aware of it's |
| limitations. Operating expenses, debt service and tax consequences are not |
| included in the GRM calculation. We could have a situation where two |
| properties have approximately the same potential gross income, but one |
| property has significantly higher operating expenses. The above formula |
| would result in a questionable estimation of the market value for these |
| properties. Also, the above GRM formula uses the monthly potential gross |
| income and doesn't account for vacancy factor which could have an impact |
| on the accuracy of the property value estimates. This is why it is important |
| to have accurate and detailed financial information for comparable sales |
| when establishing a GRM or Cap Rate for income producing properties. |
| The GRM is sometimes calculated using the effective gross income rather |
| then the potential gross income thus incorporating the vacancy factor in the |
| GRM calculation. Effective Gross income equals potential gross income |
| minus the vacancy amount. When vacancy rates are a factor, using the |
| effective gross income will produce a more reliable estimate. |
| The capitalization rate is a more reliable tool for estimating the value of |
| income producing properties since vacancy amount and operating |
| expenses are included in the cap rate calculation. The GRM is useful |
| in providing a rough estimate of value. |
|
|
| After-Tax IRR Back to Menu |
| IRR (Internal Rate of Return) put simply is the annual yield on an investment. ( That rate of return at which the present worth of future cash flows is EQUAL to today's initial capital investment ) |
| After-Tax IRR calculation for each year uses the initial investment, the series of |
| After-Tax Cash Flows and the After-Tax Sales Proceeds in a particular year to |
| establish a return on investment. For example, if we were calculating an IRR 5 |
| years in the future for an investment we would use the Initial Investment, the After-Tax |
| Cash Flows for each of the five years and the After-Tax Sales Proceeds in year five, the |
| final year, to calculate an After-Tax IRR for the investment. The real estate model |
| calculates an After-Tax IRR in years 1 through 10 using this method. Be aware of one |
| thing when looking at the IRR calculations. If in year 5 you have a return of 15 %, |
| this means that your After-Tax Cash Flows in each year are ran forward at 15%. |
| When calculating the MIRR for Future Wealth, On Target software allows you to determine |
| what rate of return you would like to run your cash flows at. The MIRR for Future |
| Wealth therefore provides a more accurate return on investment in each year. |
|
|
| Loan-to-Value Ratio: Back to Menu |
| The loan-to-value or LTV is a ratio between the loan balance and the market value |
| of a property expressed as a percentage. For example, a property with a loan |
| balance of $400,000 and a market value of $500,000 has a LTV of 80%. |
| Balance of Loans $400,000 |
| LTV = ----------------------- 100 = ------------ 100 = 80% |
| Market Value $500,000 |
| The LTV can be used to estimate the amount of equity you have in a property. |
| If the LTV for a property is 75%, your equity position in a property is 100 minus |
| 75 or 25%. You can then multiply .25 times the market value to determine the |
| equity amount. |
| Lenders may require mortgage insurance on loans with LTV's that are greater |
| than a predetermined amount, usually 80%. This means that the purchaser of |
| a property will need to put a minimum of 20% down to avoid paying mortgage |
| insurance premiums. Mortgage insurance is a premium amount which is added |
| to the monthly mortgage payment. |
| The LTV is also used when an investor wishes to refinance a property. For |
| example, you have owned an investment property for a number of years and |
| you would like to refinance the property to take cash out. Most lenders will |
| allow a maximum of 75% the appraised value for the new loan amount. |
| Lenders who refinance at LTV's greater than 75% will usually charge less |
| favorable interest rates. |
|
|
| MIRR for Future Wealth: Back to Menu |
| The Modified Internal Rate of Return on Future Wealth is the best indicator to |
| evaluate the overall return on an income property investment. Cumulative cash |
| flows and gains resulting from the sale of the property are accumulated on a |
| year-to-year basis to arrive at a Future Wealth amount. You determine the rate of |
| return you would like to run your cash flows forward at. The IRR calculation |
| determines this value for you and may therefore exaggerate your return on cash flows. |
| Also overestimating the appreciation growth rate can distort Future Wealth. Once |
| you've narrowed down your property selections, you may want to run low, medium |
| and high appreciation growth rate scenarios through the model. This will give you a |
| range of Future Wealth possibilities. |
|
|
| Net Income Multiplier: Back to Menu |
| The Net Income Multiplier or NIM is a factor that is used to estimate the market |
| value of income producing properties. It is equal to the market value of a property |
| divided by the net operating income or NOI. |
| Example 1: A residential income property has an NOI of $15,000 and a market value |
| of $150,000. |
| Market Value $150,000 |
| NIM = ----------------------------- = ------------ = 10 |
| Net Operating Income $15,000 |
| Example 2: The average net income multiplier for comparable properties in a |
| particular area is 9 and the net operating income for a similar property we are |
| considering buying is $20,000. |
| Market Value = NIM NOI = 9 $20,000 = $180,000 |
| The net income multiplier and the cap rate are financial tools used to estimate |
| the market value of income properties. The cap rate is better known and more |
| widely used. The cap rate and the NIM produce identical results when |
| estimating the market value of an income property since the net income |
| multiplier is the inverse of the cap rate. The cap rate is equal to 100 divided by |
| the NIM and conversely the NIM is equal to 100 divided by the cap rate. |
| 100 100 |
| Cap Rate = ------- NIM = ------------ |
| NIM Cap Rate |
| When using the capitalization rate and the net income multiplier to estimate the |
| value of an income property, accurate and current financial data for comparable |
| sales is required. |
|
|
| Leverage: Back to Menu |
| Leverage is the use of borrowed money to increase your profits in an investment. |
| Building wealth via real estate requires the use of leverage. Let's assume you have |
| $100,000 to invest and you purchase a small income property for $100,000. Income |
| properties have been appreciating at an average of 7% per year. At the end of the |
| first year of operation, your property is worth $107,000. At the end of year two, it |
| is worth $114,490. Now let's assume that you put your $100,000 down on a $500,000 |
| income property. At the end of the first year, it is worth $535,000. At the end of |
| the second year, it is worth $572,450. By borrowing money to purchase a larger |
| income property, you have increased your profit by $57,960 in just two years. |
| To get the full advantage of leverage, put the minimum down on a good property |
| which has a strong likelihood of appreciating in value. Stay away from questionable |
| properties in run down areas. |
| When you purchase a piece of real estate, you make use of leverage when you |
| borrow money towards the purchase price. The principal of leverage can be |
| demonstrated very easily with an investment model. For those of you who own |
| "ON TARGET", investment software, bring up Sample 1. Run the model with the current data and go |
| to the reports section. Take a good look at the MIRR (Modified Internal Rate of |
| Return) values on the Future Wealth report or print a copy of the report. Go back |
| to the input section by clicking on input. Change Loan 1 Amount on the Property |
| Data screen from $300,000 to $350,000. This will reduce your down payment from |
| $92,073 to $42,323. Click on run and go back into the Future Wealth report. |
| Your Before-Tax and After-Tax MIRR values have increased substantially for |
| all years. The model clearly demonstrates the principal of leverage. |