The One Spreadsheet I Couldn’t Invest Without (+ Free Template)

[Mason Vitalis]

When I was analyzing my first few deals, I made a mistake a lot of new investors make:

I’d hear things like “this deal cash flows $400/month” and think:
“Great, let’s do it!”

But I quickly realized — unless I was consistently and accurately analyzing deals, I was setting myself up for surprises (the expensive kind).

🔑 The Spreadsheet That Changed the Game

I found and modified a simple but powerful Deal Analyzer that I now use on every single property before even thinking about making an offer.

This sheet answers one question:
“Is this deal worth pursuing — or a waste of time?”

📊 Here’s What It Calculates for Me Automatically:

• Monthly Cash Flow (based on rent, expenses, financing, etc.)

• Cash-on-Cash Return

• Estimated Total Annual Return (cash flow + loan paydown + appreciation)
  

Plus, I included assumption fields for insurance, maintenance, interest rates, and more — because if you’re not factoring in the less obvious costs, you’re fooling yourself.

💡 Real-World Example

Here’s a Twin Cities, MN deal I analyzed this morning in about 5 minutes:

• Purchase Price: $359,900

• Estimated Total Rent: $4,000/month

• Expenses: $1,637/month (with PM and reserves)

• Debt with PITI: ~$2,624

• Initial Investment with 25% Down and Closing Costs: ~$100,772

→ Cash Flow: ~$176/month
→ CoC Return: ~2.09%

Now this isn't the best deal out there, but I wanted to demonstrate how quickly and easily I was able to determine it was a dud and move on. We all know time is money and speed to the deal can make all the difference. The numbers I used can be found relatively easily on your own. I use rentometer for rents, the county website for taxes, and conservative estimates for expenses. 

The only problem with this calculator is that it's a snapshot in time so it isn't the best for flips or BRRRRs unless you already know the ARV. I use this sheet for small multifamily 2–4-unit properties primarily but you could add to it or modify it for commercial if you wanted.

👇 Want the Spreadsheet? It’s Yours.

I’m happy to share the exact spreadsheet I use, for free.

📥 Shoot me a DM if you're interested, and I’ll send it your way.

🚀 Your Turn

If you’re analyzing deals manually or inconsistently, I highly recommend building or borrowing a solid tool. It saves time, builds confidence, and helps you say no faster — which is just as important as saying yes.

How are you currently analyzing your deals? Got a tool you swear by — or still figuring it out? Would you add anything to my sheet to make it better?

Let’s all share tools, strategies, and war stories below! 👇

[Jaycee Greene]

Quote from @Mason Vitalis:

When I was analyzing my first few deals, I made a mistake a lot of new investors make:

I’d hear things like “this deal cash flows $400/month” and think:
“Great, let’s do it!”

But I quickly realized — unless I was consistently and accurately analyzing deals, I was setting myself up for surprises (the expensive kind).

🔑 The Spreadsheet That Changed the Game

I found and modified a simple but powerful Deal Analyzer that I now use on every single property before even thinking about making an offer.

This sheet answers one question:
“Is this deal worth pursuing — or a waste of time?”

📊 Here’s What It Calculates for Me Automatically:

• Monthly Cash Flow (based on rent, expenses, financing, etc.)

• Cash-on-Cash Return

• Estimated Total Annual Return (cash flow + loan paydown + appreciation)
  

Plus, I included assumption fields for insurance, maintenance, interest rates, and more — because if you’re not factoring in the less obvious costs, you’re fooling yourself.

💡 Real-World Example

Here’s a Twin Cities, MN deal I analyzed this morning in about 5 minutes:

• Purchase Price: $359,900

• Estimated Total Rent: $4,000/month

• Expenses: $1,637/month (with PM and reserves)

• Debt with PITI: ~$2,624

• Initial Investment with 25% Down and Closing Costs: ~$100,772

→ Cash Flow: ~$176/month
→ CoC Return: ~2.09%

Now this isn't the best deal out there, but I wanted to demonstrate how quickly and easily I was able to determine it was a dud and move on. We all know time is money and speed to the deal can make all the difference. The numbers I used can be found relatively easily on your own. I use rentometer for rents, the county website for taxes, and conservative estimates for expenses. 

The only problem with this calculator is that it's a snapshot in time so it isn't the best for flips or BRRRRs unless you already know the ARV. I use this sheet for small multifamily 2–4-unit properties primarily but you could add to it or modify it for commercial if you wanted.

👇 Want the Spreadsheet? It’s Yours.

I’m happy to share the exact spreadsheet I use, for free.

📥 Shoot me a DM if you're interested, and I’ll send it your way.

🚀 Your Turn

If you’re analyzing deals manually or inconsistently, I highly recommend building or borrowing a solid tool. It saves time, builds confidence, and helps you say no faster — which is just as important as saying yes.

How are you currently analyzing your deals? Got a tool you swear by — or still figuring it out? Would you add anything to my sheet to make it better?

Let’s all share tools, strategies, and war stories below! 👇

@Mason Vitalis Is this for a duplex in the Como neighborhood with 3 BRs in each unit? How did you determine the rents? Are these the current rents or do you know the area well enough to know them? And with total rent (plus fees) at $4k/month (1.11% of PP), why would it take you 5 minutes to figure out if this is a good deal or not?

The operating expenses (42% of only gross rent) seem pretty high IMO- is there a specific reason for that? I generally estimate opexp between 30%-35% of Effective Gross Rent (Gross rent minus vacancy cost) as I usually work with bank lenders for my clients and that's what they tell me they use for their U/W. Did you look up the taxes, do you know the mill rate, or were they provided? And how did you determine the monthly insurance premium? FYI, If the $100 is paid to an HOA, that needs to be added to the PITI.

You listing only shows the cash flow over Year 1. Does your full model look at it over a longer time period?

For what it's worth, based on my proforma and the U/W I use with my clients, I'd recommend doing this deal all day long! Using a 5-year hold period, I'm getting a 17.1% IRR, 2.04x EMx, and 8.3% CoC return. I'm surprised the seller isn't asking for at least $425k.