Sell Decision Tool
Compare two simplified paths:
sell now and invest the proceeds or
keep the property as a rental for a few more years.
This is meant to help with an existing-home decision, not a full buy-versus-rent analysis. If you want the framing before you start changing assumptions, read the Sell Decision Guide.
Inputs
Estimated fixed monthly carrying cost
$0
Mortgage payment + property tax + insurance/HOA + repairs, before rent-linked costs.
Estimated monthly rental cash flow
$0
Rent minus carrying cost, management, and vacancy, plus estimated tax benefit.
Current Property
Loan Details
?In manual payment mode, your entered monthly P&I drives cash flow, while mortgage balance, rate, and years left still drive the estimated principal paydown and future equity.
If You Keep It
Estimated current payment breakdown: interest $0, principal $0.
Taxes
Growth Assumptions
This is a simplified sell-vs-keep tool. It uses a rough optional annual rental tax benefit input and an optional primary-home sale exclusion assumption, but it does not model full taxes, depreciation recapture, refinance options, or future mortgage amortization in detail.
Model suggests (current assumptions)
—
Based on the best result within your selected horizon and current inputs
Sell proceeds today
$0
After selling costs, estimated sale tax, and mortgage payoff
Monthly rental cash flow
$0
Before annual tax benefit credit
Best later sale year
—
Best sell-later result versus selling now
Minimum hold period to justify selling later
—
First year sell-later gets ahead
Projected equity at horizon
$0
Home value less current mortgage balance
Ending value by year
Blue assumes you sell now and invest the proceeds. Green assumes you rent it out until that year and then sell, with interim cash flow differences carried forward over time, any optional rental tax benefit credited annually, and any modeled home-sale capital gains tax applied at sale.
Advantage by year
Above zero means selling later is ahead of selling now at that year. Below zero means selling now is ahead.
Selected checkpoints
| Year | Sell now and invest | Rent until then sell | Later sale minus sell now |
|---|
How to read the outputs
- Sell proceeds today is the amount left after selling costs, any modeled home-sale capital gains tax, and paying off the current mortgage.
- Monthly rental cash flow is the estimated monthly cash flow if you keep the property as a rental right now before the optional annual tax benefit credit.
- Model suggests (current assumptions) looks across the years shown and highlights whether selling now or holding for a later sale produces the better result under your current inputs.
- Best later sale year is the year where renting it out and then selling produces the biggest advantage over selling now.
- Minimum hold period to justify selling later is the first year where selling later gets ahead of selling now.
- Methodology assumes sale proceeds are invested if you sell now, and also carries forward ongoing rental cash flow over time. Positive rental cash flow adds to the keep path; negative rental cash flow acts as an ongoing drag that could otherwise have been invested. If you use the rental tax benefit input, that benefit is estimated from deductible rental expenses and credited annually rather than compounded monthly. If you enable the primary-home exclusion assumption, the model applies a 250k exclusion for single filers or 500k for married filing jointly.
- Use this tool directionally. Small changes to appreciation, rent growth, selling costs, and investment return can change the answer a lot.
What this tool does not model
- Capital gains tax or depreciation recapture
- Full rental tax treatment beyond the optional rough annual tax-benefit input
- Refinancing, HELOCs, or using equity elsewhere
- Large one-time repair shocks or renovations
- Owner-occupancy utility value or lifestyle preferences
For a more detailed multi-path property model, use the house-hacking calculator.