See what a new-build STR really costs and gives back

Before you sign with a builder, put the whole deal in one spreadsheet: the cash you put in, the cash-out refinance, the year-one tax savings from the STR loophole, the cash flow, and your equity five years out. This is the model I use.

Get the spreadsheet ($97)Excel download · How to Use guide · example deal included · one-time

Made by an investor Start Here tab: money out of pocket, money back in year one, equity created and equity in 5 years, with charts

Why I made this

“What do I get back?” needs more than a rent estimate

I have invested in real estate for 17+ years, and I am a managing broker in Arizona and Washington. When friends asked me about building a short-term rental, the question was always the same: how much cash do I need, and how much comes back?

The answer lives in four places at once: the construction loan, the refinance, the year-one tax savings and the cash flow. So I built one spreadsheet that ties them together, with the hours plan and the rules that keep the tax break.

What's inside

A How to Use guide + 6 tabs. Type in the yellow boxes and they all update.

The How to Use guide and the Start Here tab (with a made-up example deal) are shown in full. The other five are blurred previews: the full tabs come in the download. Formulas are locked so nothing breaks; you only type in the yellow boxes.

How to Use tab — **How to Use.** Start here: 3 steps, what the colors mean, what each tab does, and plain-English definitions. About 20 minutes from download to your own numbers.

Your Numbers tab, blurred preview — **Your Numbers.** Every input in one place: build cost, construction loan, refinance, rent, costs, tax bracket. Yellow boxes are yours to change.

Money Math tab, blurred preview — **Money Math.** How every number is figured, step by step: money in, cash-out refinance, year-one tax savings, every year after.

100 Hours Plan tab, blurred preview — **100 Hours Plan.** The hours that keep the tax break: what to do, when, and a running total. Aim for 120.

Equity Growth tab, blurred preview — **Equity Growth.** Five years of home value, loan balance, cash flow and total wealth from the deal.

Rules to Follow tab, blurred preview — **Rules to Follow.** The checklist that keeps year-one savings from going to $0: 7-night stays, 100+ hours, no manager in year one, and more.

Questions

Before you buy

What do I need to open it?

Excel on a computer works best. It also opens in Google Sheets and Apple Numbers; the math works there, the charts may look a little different. It opens on the How to Use tab, comes filled with a made-up example deal, and every input has a note saying what to put there and where to find it.

I am buying an existing home, not building. Will it work?

It is built for new construction: a construction loan, then a cash-out refinance. You can still use the tax and cash flow tabs for a purchase by putting your price in the build cost line, but the refinance numbers will not apply.

Does the STR loophole work if I have a W-2 job?

Yes. It is about the property and your hours on it: guests stay 7 nights or less on average, and you (with your spouse) put in 100+ hours and more than anyone else. Your job does not matter. The spreadsheet has the hours plan and the rules.

Is this a subscription?

No. $97 once. You download the file and it is yours.

Is this tax advice?

No. It is a planning model with estimates. Your CPA and lender make the final call. Bring the printed tabs to them; each tab fits on one page.

Instant download

Run your numbers before you call the builder.

$97, one time. Pay on Stripe's secure checkout and you land on the download page right away. We email you the file too.

Get the spreadsheet ($97)

Jennifer

Estimates only. Not tax, legal or investment advice. Confirm with your CPA and lender before acting. Tax savings are a deferral, recaptured when you sell.