I’ll use it only when three boxes are checked: the cash flow covers debt with margin today, I have multiple exits pre-wired (sell, wholetail, refi to DSCR/seller-finance), and the timeline is short with known scope.

Consider defining your Buy Box, as this will help in adding clarity to your acquisitions.

But ultimately, you should still do manual calculations to make sure you are buying within your buy box. 

Your move: pick one primary lane and one backup, lock a buy box, and don’t stretch on ARV to make funding “fit.”

It's typically best to figure out one route to go and dial in your buy box, it makes underwriting deals easier and not getting distracted by the numerous ways to invest in real estate.

Pick a simple buy box in a nearby, stable neighborhood, line up your core four (agent, lender, GC, PM), and analyze 50 to 100 on‑market deals to learn comps and rehab ranges fast.

Quote from @Elealeh Fulmaran: Treat networking like deal flow: show up with a clear buy box, recent comps you’ve worked, and proof you can perform, then ask seasoned investors what they’re buying right now and why.

The unit checks all the boxes, including a good price, except very high amount of Radon.

You just won’t find them in the big-box lending world.

I see a lot of good projects miss out on financing just because they don’t fit the standard box.