Intermediate terms

Investment Business Plan Glossary

This curated collection offers key terms that might be helpful when exploring how to craft your real estate investment business plan. It provides clear explanations for commonly referenced concepts, supporting your learning journey without claiming comprehensive coverage. Use it as a quick reference to understand the terminology you may encounter.

Learning Path

Vacancy Rate

The vacancy rate is the percentage of all available rental units in a property or market that are currently unoccupied or not generating income, serving as a key indicator of a property's financial health and market demand.

Beginner13-14 min

Real Estate Exit Strategy

A real estate exit strategy is a predefined plan for how an investor will liquidate or conclude their involvement with a property, aiming to realize profits, recover capital, or mitigate losses.

Intermediate13-14 min

Comparative Market Analysis

A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is an informal estimate of a property's value based on recently sold, active, and expired listings in the same area, used by real estate professionals to help buyers and sellers determine a competitive price.

Intermediate15-18 min

Pro Forma

A pro forma in real estate is a projected financial statement that estimates future income and expenses for a property or investment, used to evaluate its potential profitability and viability.

Intermediate14-15 min

Loan-to-Value Ratio

The Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio is a financial metric used by lenders to assess the risk of a mortgage loan, calculated by dividing the loan amount by the property's appraised value, expressed as a percentage.

Intermediate14-15 min

Due Diligence

Due diligence is the critical process of investigating and verifying all material facts about a property and its financials before a real estate acquisition, aiming to identify risks and ensure an informed investment decision.

Intermediate14-15 min

Property Analysis

Property analysis is the systematic process of evaluating a real estate asset's potential value, profitability, and risks by examining market, financial, physical, and legal factors to guide investment decisions.

Intermediate15-18 min

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning framework used in real estate to identify an investment's internal Strengths and Weaknesses, and external Opportunities and Threats, guiding informed decision-making.

Intermediate5 min

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses are the ongoing costs of running and maintaining a real estate investment property, excluding mortgage principal and interest payments, and capital expenditures.

Beginner13-14 min

Financing

The process of obtaining funds or capital to acquire, develop, or manage real estate investments, typically involving borrowed money from lenders (debt financing) or capital from investors (equity financing).

Intermediate15-18 min

Real Estate Business Plan

A Real Estate Business Plan is a detailed document outlining an investor's goals, strategies, and financial projections for acquiring, managing, and exiting real estate assets.

Intermediate12-13 min

Investment Goals

Investment goals are specific, measurable objectives that guide your real estate investment decisions, helping you define what you want to achieve and by when.

Beginner3 min

Mission Statement

A mission statement is a clear, concise declaration outlining an investor's core purpose, values, and methods for achieving their real estate investment goals. It serves as a guiding principle for all investment decisions.

Beginner2 min

Internal Rate of Return

The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is a sophisticated financial metric used in capital budgeting to estimate the profitability of potential investments, representing the discount rate at which the net present value (NPV) of all cash flows from a particular project equals zero.

Advanced15-18 min

Operating Budget

An operating budget is a detailed financial plan forecasting all expected income and expenses for an investment property over a specific period, typically one year, to monitor financial performance and ensure profitability.

Intermediate5 min

Capitalization Rate

The Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate) is a real estate valuation metric used to estimate the potential rate of return on an investment property, calculated by dividing its Net Operating Income (NOI) by its current market value.

Intermediate14-15 min

Net Operating Income

Net Operating Income (NOI) is a key real estate metric representing a property's annual income after deducting all operating expenses, but before accounting for debt service, income taxes, and capital expenditures.

Intermediate11-12 min

Real Estate Investment Strategy

A real estate investment strategy is a structured plan outlining an investor's approach to acquiring, managing, and disposing of properties to achieve specific financial objectives, considering risk tolerance and market conditions.

Intermediate11-12 min

Capital Expenditures

Capital Expenditures (CapEx) are significant funds spent by a real estate investor to acquire, upgrade, or extend the useful life of a property, rather than for routine maintenance or operating expenses. These investments enhance the property's value and are typically depreciated over time for tax purposes.

Intermediate14-15 min

Cash-on-Cash Return

Cash-on-Cash Return (CoC) is a real estate investment metric that calculates the annual pre-tax cash flow generated by a property as a percentage of the total cash an investor has invested.

Intermediate15-18 min