Not Just How Much.
What Kind of Return.
The Return Quadrant™ shows all four return streams — appreciation, cash flow, loan paydown, and tax benefits — for each scenario side by side, so you can see exactly where your wealth comes from.
Return in Dollars Quadrant™ (RIDQ™)
Appreciation
$15,830
Cash Flow
-$3,403
Debt Paydown
$10,826
Tax Benefits
$5,238
Total+R
$41,836
+ Reserves $289
+ Outside Money $13,056
Sample data — "Sell to Buy More Rentals?" analysis: 2 sell properties, 3 buy replacements. Your results will vary.
Keep: Your Current Returns
When you keep your properties, all return streams stay active. In this example, the investor keeps two rentals — "The Duplex" and "The Headache" — with combined returns across all streams, including the opportunity yield on capital that would otherwise go to buying replacements.
Return in Dollars Quadrant™ (RIDQ™)
Appreciation
$16,240
Cash Flow
$1,388
Debt Paydown
$5,295
Tax Benefits
$5,808
Total+R
$28,731
+ Reserves $349
Outside Money N/A
Sample data — "Sell to Buy More Rentals?" analysis: 2 sell properties, 3 buy replacements. Your results will vary.
Sell: What Changes
Sell both properties, pay taxes ($25,526), and use the $96,874 in after-tax proceeds to buy three replacement properties. Cash flow improves from -$3,403/yr to +$1,388/yr — positive, but modest. You need $130,563 in outside money to cover the gap between proceeds and purchase costs.
Return in Dollars Quadrant™ (RIDQ™)
Appreciation
$16,240
Cash Flow
$1,388
Debt Paydown
$5,295
Tax Benefits
$5,808
Total+R
$28,731
+ Reserves $349
Outside Money N/A
Sample data — "Sell to Buy More Rentals?" analysis: 2 sell properties, 3 buy replacements. Your results will vary.
1031 Exchange: Tax-Deferred Swap
Same three replacement properties, but you defer the $25,526 in taxes. That gives you $120,400 in proceeds instead of $96,874 — reducing the outside money needed from $130,563 to $107,037. The replacement returns are identical since you're buying the same properties either way.
Beyond the Four Streams
The Return Quadrant™ also tracks reserves and outside money — two factors that complete the picture.
Reserves
The return you earn on vacancy reserves, CapEx reserves, and any other cash you hold for the property. This is real return — money sitting in a high-yield savings account or money market fund generates income that most investors ignore.
Outside Money
When you sell and buy a replacement, you may have surplus cash left over — or you may need to bring additional money to cover the shortfall. The quadrant tracks this so you see the full capital picture.
Cash Now vs. Cash Later
Return streams aren't all the same. Some put cash in your pocket today — others build wealth over time. The app classifies every stream so you know exactly what kind of return you're earning.
| Return Stream | Type | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
|
Cash Flow
|
Cash Now | Money deposited into your bank account each month after all expenses. |
|
Tax Benefits
|
Cash Now | Reduced tax bill from depreciation — money you keep instead of sending to the IRS. |
|
Reserves Return
|
Cash Now | Interest earned on your vacancy and CapEx reserve funds sitting in a high-yield account. |
|
Appreciation
|
Cash Later | Property value growth — you only access it when you sell or refinance. |
|
Loan Paydown
|
Cash Later | Each mortgage payment reduces your loan balance — equity grows silently every month. |
|
Outside Money
|
Depends | Surplus cash left over (invest now) or additional capital needed (spend now). Classification depends on your scenario. |
More Certain vs. More Speculative
Not all returns carry the same risk. The app separates what's predictable from what's a projection — so you know how much of your return depends on things going right.
| Return Stream | Certainty | Why |
|---|---|---|
|
Loan Paydown
|
More Certain | Fixed by your amortization schedule. If you make the payment, the balance drops — guaranteed. |
|
Tax Benefits
|
More Certain | Depreciation is set by purchase price and IRS schedule. Tax rate may change, but the deduction is predictable. |
|
Reserves Return
|
More Certain | Based on your current reserve balance and the yield on your savings account. Predictable and low-risk. |
|
Cash Flow
|
More Speculative | Based on current rent and expenses, but vacancies, repairs, and tenant changes add variance. |
|
Appreciation
|
More Speculative | Market-driven. Historical averages can guide estimates, but the actual number could be zero or negative. |
|
Outside Money
|
You Choose | You classify this based on where you invest the surplus — savings account (certain) or stocks/property (speculative). |
Reading the Quadrants
What do the quadrant patterns tell you about each scenario?
Explore More Features
See everything Should I Sell My Rental Property? has to offer.
5-Step Sell-or-Hold Wizard
A guided wizard that walks you through property selection, replacement planning, assumptions, equity reality check, and full scenario comparison.
Learn more →Return on Equity Reality Check
Most investors use the wrong denominator. See why simple equity overstates your position — and what your real return on equity looks like.
Learn more →3-Scenario Comparison Engine
Compare Keep, Traditional Sale, and 1031 Exchange with sale proceeds breakdowns, surplus/shortage alerts, and cumulative return charts.
Learn more →Cash Now vs. Cash Later
See how much of your return is spendable today vs. building wealth over time — and how that balance shifts when you sell or exchange.
Learn more →More Certain vs. More Speculative
Know how much of your return is locked in by contracts and tax code — and how much depends on the market cooperating.
Learn more →Future Tax Liability Tracker
Track how tax liability shifts across scenarios — latent when you keep, eliminated when you sell, and deferred in a 1031 exchange.
Learn more →Included with All Apps
These features come with every app — no extra cost.
Property Database
70+ fields, auto-save editing, live calculation sidebar, smart search and filtering.
Learn more →Comprehensive Property Data
Every number an investor needs across 11 organized sections with smart field types.
Learn more →Smart Editing & Live Sidebar
Auto-save with 800ms debounce, per-section status badges, and real-time calculations.
Learn more →Property Classification
Tag properties by investment strategy and property type. Filter and sort your entire portfolio.
Learn more →Real-Time Calculations
27 key metrics across 5 categories computed instantly as you type, with clickable walkthroughs.
Learn more →Portfolio Dashboard
Portfolio highlights, property cards, strategy and type breakdowns, overview charts, and cross-app features.
Learn more →AI Property Import
Copy a prompt, paste your MLS listing into any AI tool, and import 20+ property fields in seconds.
Learn more →See Your Return Quadrants™ Side by Side
Not just total return — see what kind of return each scenario produces.
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