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Sensitivity Sliders

Move one slider — watch the cap rate change instantly. Understand which inputs have the most power over your return before you make an offer.

Try It Right Now

Drag any slider and watch the cap rate update in real time.

Cap Rate
6.60%
Baseline: 6.60% on $300,000 property — Reset
NOI rises $1 for every $1 more in rent (after vacancy)
$3,000/mo
$1,500 $6,000
5% vacancy on $36,000 rent = $1,800/yr lost
5%
0% 25%
Every $100/mo cut adds $1,200/yr directly to NOI
$1,200/mo
$500 $2,500
Lower price = higher cap rate on same NOI
$300,000
$100K $700K
Demo: These 4 sliders use a simplified model (all expenses bundled). The full app separates all 10 inputs — taxes, insurance, HOA, utilities, maintenance, management %, CapEx — and builds a Tornado Chart specific to your property's numbers.

Why Every Property Has a Different #1 Lever

A property with high vacancy has a completely different priority than one with above-market management fees. Knowing yours changes how you negotiate, manage, and improve.

Scenario 1

Below-Market Rent

Rent:$2,600/mo (market: $3,000+)
Vacancy:5%
Expenses:$1,200/mo
Cap Rate:5.08%
Top Lever
Raise rent to market rate
+0.38pp cap rate → +$17,273 implied value

Comparable rent research + property improvements = fastest ROI path. Every $100/mo closer to market adds directly to your NOI.

Scenario 2

High-Vacancy Property

Rent:$3,000/mo
Vacancy:18%
Expenses:$1,200/mo
Cap Rate:5.04%
Top Lever
Reduce vacancy from 18% to 5%
+1.60pp cap rate → +$72,727 implied value

Tenant retention strategy, faster lease-up, and better screening pay off far more than expense cuts here.

Scenario 3

Expense-Heavy Property

Rent:$3,000/mo
Vacancy:5%
Expenses:$1,800/mo
Cap Rate:4.20%
Top Lever
Cut $300/mo in expenses
+1.20pp cap rate → +$54,545 implied value

Self-manage, re-shop insurance, defer non-urgent CapEx. On an expense-heavy property, every dollar saved hits harder than a dollar of extra rent.

The full app builds a personalized Tornado Chart from your property's actual numbers — ranked by which inputs swing your cap rate the most. Move a slider and watch the ranking update live.

Why Sensitivity Analysis Matters

The inputs you choose to negotiate — and stress-test — determine whether a deal succeeds or fails.

Negotiate Where It Has Leverage

Not all inputs are equal. For one property that's rent; for another it's management fees. The slider demo above shows you which one. A $50/mo rent improvement beats a $5,000 price reduction at a 6% cap rate.

Identify Your Biggest Risk Before You Buy

What if vacancy runs higher than expected? What if expenses creep up? Moving sliders to stress-test scenarios before closing is free due diligence.

Model Best, Likely, and Worst

Set sliders to your optimistic case — then reset to pessimistic. The gap between those two cap rates is your risk range. Know it before you buy.

10 Inputs. One Live Cap Rate.

Every variable that affects your cap rate, all adjustable with a single drag.

Monthly Rent
The single biggest lever on most properties
$500–$10,000
Vacancy Rate
Each 1% drop = +0.036pp cap rate at $3k rent
0%–50%
Property Taxes
Fixed by county but contestable on appeal
$0–$1,000/mo
Insurance
Re-shop annually; competitive bids save $30–$150/mo
$0–$500/mo
HOA Fees
Non-negotiable but buyer-facing at purchase
$0–$500/mo
Utilities
Separate metering or RUBS can reduce owner share
$0–$300/mo
Maintenance
Improves with proactive care; reserve for the unexpected
$0–$500/mo
Property Management
Every 1% drop in rate = ~0.036pp cap rate at $3k rent
0%–20%
CapEx Reserve
Higher in older properties; factor before buying
$0–$500/mo
Property Value
Every $10k less you pay = direct cap rate improvement
$50K–$2M

The Tornado Chart — Which Inputs Matter Most

Based on a ±10% swing on each input from a 6.60% cap rate baseline. Your property's tornado will differ.

Input decreases cap rate
Input increases cap rate
Monthly Rent
±0.66%
Improve unit, market better, add amenities
Property Value
±0.60%
Negotiate price down or buy below market
Vacancy Rate
±0.12%
Improve tenant retention, shorter vacancy cycles
Prop. Management
±0.09%
Self-manage or renegotiate the rate
Property Taxes
±0.08%
Appeal annually if over-assessed
Maintenance
±0.08%
CapEx Reserve
±0.05%
Insurance
±0.03%
Utilities
±0.02%
HOA Fees
±0.01%

The Rent & Value Gap

At a 6% cap rate, Monthly Rent and Property Value together account for over 85% of all cap rate sensitivity. This is why the best investors focus obsessively on buying below market and pushing rents above market. Everything else is secondary.

The Tornado Chart in the full app is built dynamically from your property's actual numbers — updated whenever you move a slider.

Run Your Own Sensitivity Analysis

Enter your property, move all 10 sliders, and see which inputs have the most leverage on your cap rate — with a full Tornado Chart built in real time.

Get Started