🏗️ Creative Finance Deal Analyzer

Enter one deal — compare Subject-To, Seller Finance, and Conventional financing side by side. See which strategy gives you the most cash flow, best return on cash invested, and highest 5-year profit.

Subject-To — You take over the seller's existing loan (low or zero down)

Seller Finance — Seller acts as the bank; you pay them directly (flexible terms)

Conventional — Standard bank loan (20% down, current market rate)

Deal Inputs Enter Once · Compare Three Ways

Property

Purchase Price / ARV ?

Monthly Rent (market rate) ?

Subject-To (Taking Over Existing Loan)

Seller's Existing Loan Balance ?

Seller's Existing Rate ?

Existing Monthly Payment ?

Cash to Seller (equity payment) ?

Seller Finance (Seller Carries the Loan)

Down Payment ?

Seller Finance Rate ?

Loan Term (years) ?

Balloon (years, optional) ?

Conventional Financing (Bank Loan)

Down Payment % ?

Interest Rate ?

Operating Expenses (Same for All Strategies)

Property Tax / mo ?

Insurance / mo ?

Maintenance % ?

Vacancy % ?

Management % ?

HOA / mo ?

📊 Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric	Subject-To	Seller Finance	Conventional
Monthly Payment	—	—	—
Cash Required to Close	—	—	—
Monthly Cash Flow	—	—	—
Annual Cash Flow	—	—	—
Cash-on-Cash Return	—	—	—
5-Year Cash Flow	—	—	—
Instant Equity	—	—	—

🔑 Subject-To Take Over Existing Loan

Enter values to see analysis

Monthly CF

—

after expenses

CoC Return

—

on cash invested

Income & Expenses / mo

Gross Rent—

Vacancy Loss—

Eff. Gross Income—

Property Tax—

Insurance—

Maintenance—

Management—

HOA—

Existing Loan Payment ?—

Monthly Cash Flow—

Investment Summary

Cash to Seller—

Loan Rate (seller's)—

Loan Balance Taken Over—

Instant Equity Created—

Annual Cash Flow—

Cash-on-Cash Return—

📝 Seller Finance Seller Carries the Loan

Enter values to see analysis

Monthly CF

—

after expenses

CoC Return

—

on cash invested

Income & Expenses / mo

Gross Rent—

Vacancy Loss—

Eff. Gross Income—

Property Tax—

Insurance—

Maintenance—

Management—

Seller Finance Payment ?—

Monthly Cash Flow—

Investment Summary

Down Payment—

Seller Finance Rate—

Loan Amount—

Balloon Due (if set)—

Annual Cash Flow—

Cash-on-Cash Return—

🏦 Conventional Bank Financing

Enter values to see analysis

Monthly CF

—

after expenses

CoC Return

—

on cash invested

Income & Expenses / mo

Gross Rent—

Vacancy Loss—

Eff. Gross Income—

Property Tax—

Insurance—

Maintenance—

Management—

Bank Mortgage Payment ?—

Monthly Cash Flow—

Investment Summary

Down Payment—

Bank Rate—

Loan Amount—

Annual Cash Flow—

Cash-on-Cash Return—

📄 Email My Creative Finance Report

Full comparison of all 3 strategies sent free to your inbox.

Enter Property Basics

Type in the purchase price and the monthly market rent. These two numbers are the same regardless of which financing strategy you use.

Fill in Each Strategy's Terms

Subject-To: Get the seller's loan balance, rate, and monthly payment from their mortgage statement.
Seller Finance: Negotiate down payment, rate, and term directly with the seller.
Conventional: Use 20% down and today's market rate.

Add Operating Expenses

Enter property tax, insurance, maintenance %, and vacancy %. These costs are the same no matter how you finance — the only difference is the monthly payment.

Read the Comparison Table

The green-highlighted cells show the winning number for each metric. The dark banner at the top shows the overall best strategy and why.

Check Cash-on-Cash Return

CoC = Annual Cash Flow ÷ Cash Invested. Subject-To often shows the highest CoC because you put in very little cash. But also look at the absolute dollar cash flow.

Use the 5-Year View

A deal might cash flow negative with Conventional but strongly positive with Subject-To. The 5-year number shows the full compounding impact of those differences.

💡 Pro tip: Load the example deal (button at top) to see a real comparison — a seller with a low-rate 2021 mortgage vs a 7.5% seller finance vs today's conventional loan. The Subject-To crushes the other two on cash-on-cash return.

Subject-To (SubTo)

You purchase the property and take over the seller's existing mortgage payments — but the loan stays in the seller's name. You get the deed; they keep the mortgage liability. Powerful when the seller has a low-rate loan (e.g. 3–4% from 2020–2022).

Seller Finance

The seller acts as your bank. You pay them directly each month instead of a bank. No bank qualifying required. Terms (rate, down payment, balloon) are negotiated between you and the seller.

Cash-on-Cash Return (CoC)

Annual cash flow divided by total cash you invested. If you put in $10,000 and get $1,200/yr back, that's a 12% CoC. Subject-To often has infinite or very high CoC because you invest so little cash upfront.

Instant Equity

The difference between the purchase price and the current market value (ARV). On a Subject-To deal where you buy below market, you capture equity from day one without needing to rehab.

Balloon Payment

A lump sum due at the end of the loan term. Common in seller finance — e.g. a 30-year amortization with a 5-year balloon means your payment is calculated over 30 years, but the full remaining balance is due in year 5. You'd refinance with a bank at that point.

Effective Gross Income (EGI)

Gross rent minus vacancy loss. If rent is $1,750 and vacancy is 6%, EGI = $1,645. This is the realistic income you use to calculate cash flow — not the full rent amount.

Due-on-Sale Clause

Most mortgages have this clause — it allows the lender to demand full repayment when the property is sold. Subject-To deals technically trigger this, but lenders rarely enforce it if payments are being made. Consult a real estate attorney before pursuing SubTo.

Operating Expenses

All costs of running the property EXCEPT the mortgage: property tax, insurance, maintenance, management fees, HOA, vacancy reserves. These are the same no matter how you finance — only the loan payment changes between strategies.

Creative finance refers to any real estate purchase that doesn't involve a traditional bank mortgage. The three most common strategies are:

Subject-To is most powerful when a seller has a low-rate loan they want to walk away from — often due to financial distress, divorce, relocation, or inherited property. You take over their 3–4% rate while today's rates are 7–8%, giving you a significant cash flow advantage.

Seller Finance works well when the seller owns the property free-and-clear (no existing mortgage), or when they want monthly income rather than a lump sum. It's also useful for investors who can't qualify for traditional bank financing.

Conventional financing is the baseline comparison. It's the slowest and most expensive path (requires bank qualifying, 20% down, current market rates) but also the most straightforward and legally clean.

⚠️ Legal note: Subject-To transactions carry legal complexity including the due-on-sale clause risk, title issues, and fiduciary responsibility to the seller. Always work with a real estate attorney experienced in creative finance before closing a SubTo deal.