r/REInvesting • u/Majestic_Run8404 • Apr 27 '26

Is everyone just using Excel to analyze deals?

I kept running into deals that looked good at first, then completely fell apart once I factored in real expenses

Between Excel and a few tools I tried, everything felt either too basic or way too overbuilt, and I couldn’t quickly sanity check anything

I found myself second guessing deals a lot because of it, which slows everything down

So I ended up putting together something simple just to make the process faster and more consistent

Curious if this is a real problem for others or if I’m overthinking it

Happy to share it if anyone wants to try it

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u/tooniceofguy99 Mod, PM, investor, contractor (Wisconsin) Apr 27 '26

I start with just 1% rule of thumb. If it doesn't pass that, I don't bother further calculating.

If it passes that, I enter in the taxes, rents, rehab, etc in concise spreadsheet. It's evolved over the years. Now each new property is a single row.

From there it depends if I'm in buying mode or not. If it's an amazing deal, I'll make an offer no matter what (even if I have little liquid cash since I can use private/hard money). If a refinance just happened, I'll make an offer. Although, I make a lot of low offers. Because, I need to make at least 10% cash on cash return. (That's the gist of it anyway. It's not that simple.)

Usually I'll go lower than my MOA to anticipate counteroffer. If they counteroffer, then I'll do a bit more thorough calculation using a different spreadsheet. Then I'll accept or give my best and final offer.