What is Cash-on-Cash Return?
Cash-on-cash return (CoC) measures the annual pre-tax cash flow generated by a real estate investment relative to the actual cash invested. Unlike cap rate, which ignores financing, cash-on-cash return accounts for your mortgage payments and leverage. This makes it the most practical metric for investors using financing because it tells you what return you're actually getting on the cash you put in.
Cash-on-Cash Return = Annual Pre-Tax Cash Flow / Total Cash Invested x 100
Example: $6,000 annual cash flow / $40,000 total cash invested = 15% CoC return
The "total cash invested" includes everything you spent out of pocket: down payment, closing costs, repairs, and any other upfront costs. The "annual cash flow" is what's left after all expenses including the mortgage payment. This is the real money in your pocket at the end of the year divided by the real money you put in.
How to calculate cash-on-cash return
Step 1: Calculate annual cash flow
Start with gross annual rent, subtract vacancy allowance, operating expenses (taxes, insurance, management, maintenance), and annual mortgage payments (principal + interest). What remains is your annual pre-tax cash flow.
Step 2: Calculate total cash invested
Add up your down payment, closing costs on the purchase, and any renovation costs paid out of pocket. If you financed repairs through a hard money loan or HELOC, only count the portion you paid from your own funds.
Full example
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | $150,000 |
| Down payment (20%) | $30,000 |
| Closing costs | $4,000 |
| Repairs | $15,000 |
| Total cash invested | $49,000 |
| Monthly rent | $1,500 |
| Annual gross rent | $18,000 |
| Vacancy (5%) | -$900 |
| Taxes, insurance, mgmt, maintenance | -$6,600 |
| Mortgage (P&I on $120K at 7%) | -$9,576 |
| Annual cash flow | $924 |
| Cash-on-Cash Return | 1.9% |
In this example, the CoC return is low because the high interest rate eats into cash flow. This illustrates why CoC is so important -- the cap rate on this property might look decent, but the actual cash return after financing is minimal.
What's a good cash-on-cash return?
- 8-12%: Considered good for most markets. This means your invested cash is returning 8-12 cents per dollar annually.
- 12-20%: Excellent. Usually requires buying below market, adding value through renovation, or finding a property with above-market rents.
- 20%+: Exceptional. Typically achieved through BRRRR strategy where you refinance out most of your initial investment, dramatically reducing the denominator.
- Under 5%: Generally poor. Your money might do better in other investments. However, some investors accept low CoC in appreciating markets where the total return (cash flow + appreciation + equity paydown) is strong.
Cash-on-cash vs cap rate
Cap rate measures the property's performance independent of financing. Cash-on-cash measures your actual return based on the cash you invested. A property with an 8% cap rate might have a 15% CoC return if you use leverage effectively, or a 3% CoC return if interest rates are high. Use cap rate to compare properties. Use CoC to evaluate your specific investment scenario.
The BRRRR advantage
The BRRRR strategy can produce infinite cash-on-cash returns. If you buy a property, renovate it, rent it, refinance to pull out all your initial investment, and repeat -- your cash invested approaches zero. Any positive cash flow on zero investment equals an infinite return. This is why BRRRR is so popular among buy-and-hold investors focused on building cash-flowing portfolios.