Investing Strategies
Same property, different strategy, different outcome. These educational guides compare the plays; use the released analyzer only for a stabilized rental screen under reviewed assumptions.
Guides
The BRRRR method in 2026: the complete numbers walkthrough
Buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat: one full deal walked start to finish on stated financing assumptions. Refinance LTV limits, seasoning, DSCR qualification and the limits on your cash-out, all of which vary by program and lender.
11 min readHouse hacking explained: how to (almost) live for free in a 2-4 unit
The actual math behind house hacking — FHA 3.5% down, owner-occupant rules, year-2 transition planning, and the deal types that make this strategy work in 2026.
9 min readIs a duplex a good investment? The same $400,000 building, underwritten as a rental and as a house hack
The same $400,000 duplex underwritten two ways. As a pure rental with 25% down it needs $138,140 of cash and loses $277 a month; owner-occupied with 5% down it needs $58,129. Both paths worked line by line, plus the year-2 move-out math and a head-to-head against a same-priced single-family.
13 min readSection 8 rentals: how the math actually works in 2026 (pros, cons, underwriting)
How the Housing Choice Voucher program pays: how to verify payment standards, approved rent and the tenant's share, what inspections involve, payment timing, and the property-level assumptions to adjust when you underwrite a voucher rental.
11 min readSingle-family vs multi-family rental property — which actually wins?
Single-family vs multi-family compared on cash flow, cap rate, financing, tenants, exit liquidity and capex risk, with an illustrative side-by-side example.
11 min readHow to estimate rehab costs without relying on generic price bands
A rehab-budget framework: document the scope and condition, get local written bids, add permits and carrying costs, and set a disclosed reserve for what you can't see yet.
12 min readHow to find off-market rental properties — 8 sources that actually work
The 8 sources investors use to find off-market rental deals: driving for dollars, direct mail, wholesalers, networking, public records and more.
10 min readShould I use a property management company? The actual math.
Percent-of-rent fees, lease-up fees and maintenance markups: does paying a property manager still beat managing yourself? The break-even math, plus when to switch either way.
8 min readHouse hack underwriting: how to know if a duplex, triplex, or fourplex actually beats renting
House hacking sounds great in a podcast and confusing in a spreadsheet. The honest math: your housing cost vs. renting the equivalent, factoring in down payment, mortgage paydown, appreciation, and the very real cost of being your tenants' landlord.
12 min readShort-term rental underwriting playbook: how to model an Airbnb in 2026
STR cash flow lives or dies on three numbers: ADR, occupancy, and operating expenses. Here's the full playbook for underwriting a short-term rental in 2026 — what data sources to use, what hidden costs everyone forgets, and how to stress-test for a bad off-season.
14 min readThe 70% rule for house flipping (and BRRRR): calculate a 70%-rule price screen (2026)
The 70% rule — 70% of after-repair value, minus repairs — as a quick price screen, and what it does under the hood. Worked on a $300K flip with a full P&L showing where the 30% spread goes ($37,800 of costs, $52,200 of profit), the BRRRR version, and the cheap-house and long-rehab cases where 70% is the wrong number.
11 min readTerms these guides use
BRRRR, House Hack, Fair Market Rent, Rehab. Every other term is defined in the glossary.
Calculators for this
Run a real deal
Reading is step one. Paste an address into TrueCap and get cap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR, cash flow, and a Buy Box fit in 60 seconds — free.
Open TrueCapMore topics