Projection assumptions
10-Year Total Return
Your estimated average return per year over a 10-year hold, blending cash flow, loan paydown, and appreciation — not just the rent you pocket today.
There is no universal long-run target. The result is highly sensitive to rent, expense, financing, value, and sale assumptions, so treat it as a scenario rather than a forecast.
Why 10-Year Total Return matters
Cash flow alone undersells a rental: a deal that's near break-even today can still build real wealth through equity paydown and appreciation. This number is the closest single figure to 'what will this actually earn me long-term.'
How to check 10-Year Total Return before you rely on it
Read the assumptions before the result. Change rent growth, expense growth, appreciation, and the sale cost one at a time and watch how far the ten-year figure moves. A return that survives flat rent and zero appreciation is a return you can plan around; one that depends on the growth inputs is a scenario, and you should say so when you share it.
Related terms
IRR (Internal Rate of Return)
Annualized return over the full hold period, including cash flow, principal paydown, appreciation, a…
Cash-on-Cash Return
Annual cash flow ÷ total cash invested (down payment + closing + rehab). Tells you how hard your mon…
Appreciation Rate
Your editable assumption for annual property-value change.
Ready to run the 10-Year Total Return math on a real deal?
Free 60-second analysis with labeled starting assumptions and no signup. Pro calculates your Offer Ceiling: the highest price that still meets your targets under the assumptions shown.
Where 10-Year Total Return shows up in TrueCap
Projection assumptions feed the 10-year view: rent and expense growth, appreciation, and the exit costs used in the sale scenarios. They do not change the first-year verdict; they change what the deal looks like over time, which is why they are kept editable and labeled separately from the current-year inputs.