Acquisition · Startup
Year 1 cash needs.
Down payment + closing + furnishing + reserves + ramp-up carry. Total before keys, on one page.
Property + financing
Setup + carry
Year 1 total cash needed
$144,000
How it works
Five line items — down payment, closing, furnishing, reserves, ramp-up carry — sum to total cash needed before bookings cover the property. Most buyers under-estimate reserves and ramp; this calculator forces both onto the page.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the purchase price and the down-payment + closing percents your loan product requires.
- Set furnishing from the Furnishing Budget calculator (or a defensible guess).
- Set monthly carry — P&I + tax + insurance + utilities.
- Reserves = 6 months of carry; ramp = 3 months for most STRs.
FAQ
Why include 6 months of reserves?
STR income is seasonal and fragile in Year 1. Six months of full carry is the conservative buffer before bookings normalize.
What's a realistic ramp-up period?
Three months from listing live to bookings covering carry. Slower in saturated markets; faster in low-saturation ones with good photos.
Are closing costs really 3%?
2–4% is the common range — title, escrow, lender fees, attorney, prepaids. Investor loans (DSCR) tend to run higher than primary residences.
How much should I budget for furnishing?
See the Furnishing Budget calculator. As a rule of thumb: $20–$30/sqft mid-tier, $35–$50/sqft for design-forward STRs.
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