Finance category
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Break-Even Sale Price Calculator
The price floor below which you lose money. This calculator accounts for the fact that commission and transfer costs are percentages of sale price — so the math needs to solve for the price, not just sum the costs.
title, transfer tax, staging
Break-even sale price
$355,851
Total costs at breakeven
$355,851
Cash invested (ex selling)
$330,000
How the math works
Break-even = total costs ÷ (1 - commission%). This accounts for the fact that commission is paid on the sale price itself, not on a pre-commission figure. On a 6% commission flip, every dollar of sale price returns 94 cents to the flipper.
Use this number as the absolute floor — anything below is a loss. Price above to account for target profit. Break-even also tells you the market-conditions tolerance: a market that drops below break-even means walking away or holding for rent.
How to Use
- Enter purchase price and buy-side closing costs.
- Enter rehab and permits.
- Enter total carrying cost for planned hold.
- Enter commission %.
- Enter other selling costs (title, transfer tax, staging).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why divide by (1-commission%)?
Because commission applies to sale price, not to cost. If all costs total $340k and commission is 6%, sale price needs to be $361,700 so that after paying the $21,700 commission, you're left with $340k to cover costs.
Should I include my time?
Optional, but realistic. If you spent 400 hours at $75/hour opportunity cost = $30k, add that to costs. Otherwise you're implicitly pricing your time at zero, which distorts real return analysis.
What if break-even is above ARV?
The flip shouldn't happen. Either the purchase price was too high, rehab budget too optimistic, or margin expectations unrealistic. Walk away during due diligence, or renegotiate purchase price.
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