Rent vs. Sell Calculator: Should I Rent Out My House?

Trying to decide whether to sell your East Bay home or keep it as a rental? Enter your numbers below. The calculator compares two paths over your time horizon: keeping the home as a rental (cash flow plus equity growth) versus selling today and investing the proceeds. Hover or tap the ? icons for guidance on any input; defaults reflect typical East Bay assumptions.

Estimated sale price ($)?What your home would likely sell for today. A recent appraisal, an online estimate, or an agent opinion all work.

Remaining mortgage balance ($)?The payoff amount on your current loan. Check your latest mortgage statement.

Mortgage interest rate (%)?Your current mortgage rate, listed on your statement.

Monthly payment, P+I only ($)?Principal and interest only. Leave out taxes and insurance, which are entered separately below.

Expected monthly rent ($)?Not sure? Check what similar homes rent for online, or call Apexnest at 510-293-3530 for a free rental analysis. Owners often guess low.

Monthly property tax + insurance ($)?Annual property tax plus homeowners or landlord insurance, divided by 12. Long-held California homes often have lower tax bills under Prop 13.

Maintenance reserve (% of rent)?Rule of thumb: 5 to 10% of rent set aside for repairs and upkeep. Older homes trend higher. Use 8% if unsure.

Management fee (% of rent)?Apexnest charges 5.9% of monthly rent on the Standard plan. Full-service management elsewhere commonly runs 8 to 10%.

Vacancy allowance (%)?Time the home sits empty between tenants, averaged out. 3 to 6% is typical; a well-priced, well-managed East Bay home trends toward the low end.

Home appreciation (%/yr)?No one can predict this. 2 to 4% per year is a conservative long-run planning range for Bay Area homes. Try a few values and see how the answer changes.

Rent growth (%/yr)?2 to 4% per year is a common planning assumption. Note that some East Bay cities limit rent increases for existing tenants.

Selling costs (% of price)?Agent commissions plus closing and prep costs typically total 5 to 7% of the sale price.

Return if you invest sale proceeds (%/yr)?What you would realistically earn investing the sale proceeds instead, such as a diversified portfolio. 4 to 7% per year is a common planning range.

Time horizon (years)?How long you would keep the rental before selling. 5 to 10 years is a typical window for this comparison.

This tool provides a simplified educational estimate only. It is not financial, tax, or investment advice; it ignores income taxes, depreciation, capital gains rules (including the primary-residence exclusion deadline), and your personal situation. Please consult your tax or financial advisor before deciding.

Rent vs. Sell Calculator for East Bay Homeowners

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Rent vs. Sell Calculator for East Bay Homeowners

Main Office

Mailing Address

510-293-3530

info@apexnest.com

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