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Real Estate Financial Modeling Accelerator (Updated October 2024)

Prior to launching the Accelerator program, Michael and I fielded email after email requesting a more structured real estate financial modeling training program on the site. Over the years, we've covered hundreds of real estate modeling…

Option Agreement

An Option Agreement, or Option, is a formal agreement between a property owner and a potential buyer or lessee, in which the potential buyer or lessee usually pays the owner for the exclusive right to a negotiation in good faith or to allow…

Replacement Cost

This is the cost to build a brand new, similar, and competing project in the same location as an existing building. When underwriting a property, it is important to understand the replacement cost.  If a brand new and almost identical building…

Weighted Average Unexpired Lease Term

The Weighted Average Unexpired Lease Term (WAULT), also known as Weighted Average Lease Term (WALT) or Weighted Average Lease Expiry (WALE), is a leasing metric in commercial real estate that quantifies the average time remaining on lease contracts…

Limited Service Hotel

A hotel that provides only the basic amenities and services with some hotels offering facilities such as a swimming pool and/or business center. Limited service hotels (such as Fairfield Inn or Homewood Suites) operate on smaller budgets enabling…

Full Service Hotel

A hotel that has a dedicated F&B component and offers a full range of amenities and services such as concierge service, bars and restaurants, pool and spa, etc. Full service hotels have high fixed costs and appeal to the more affluent casual…

Hotel “Flag”

An informal term used to denote an operating brand within the hotel industry. Marriott, Hilton, and Best Western are examples of "Flags" used by owners of hotel properties.

Mortgage Constant

A rate calculated by dividing the periodic loan payment by the initial loan amount. The Mortgage (or Loan) Constant is often used as a tool to efficiently calculate loan payments and is represented as a percentage. For instance, a mortgage loan…

Non-Disclosure State

A state in the United States where the sales price of a sold property is not publicly available. In such situations, the sales value is estimated - for tax assessment and other purposes - using other metrics which are publicly available, such…

Soft Costs

Any indirect development costs (i.e. not labor or materials). These costs range from architecture and engineering fees to project management and developer fees and can affect hard costs significantly (e.g. an architect’s efficient building…

Hard Costs

Any development costs associated with the physical construction of a building. These costs are easy to quantify and typically include items such as raw materials, labor, and interior finish, etc. Hard costs are also referred to as Direct Co…

Good News Money

Additional funds paid out to the borrower by a mortgage lender upon the occurrence of certain “good news” events, such as the owner concluding a lease agreement with a major tenant in the building or reaching some pre-determined net operating…

Springing Recourse

A form of loan guarantee only enforceable by a lender when certain default or credit events occur (e.g. if a borrower violates operating covenants, does not meet net worth requirements, files for voluntary bankruptcy, etc.). In springing recourse…

Loss-to-Lease

The difference between in-place rent (or contract rent) and market rent. The loss-to-lease concept is most often used in multifamily underwriting. Because contractual lease rates lag the actual market, the loss-to-lease metric acts to help the…

Income Approach

One of three appraisal methods used in commercial real estate to estimate the value of income-producing property. The Income Approach includes two methods. The first method, the Income Capitalization Method, is a process whereby one year's Net…

Net Operating Income

The net income from a property, in a given period, after deducting operating expenses but before deducting capital expenditures, debt service, and taxes. To calculate Net Operating Income, the real estate professional subtracts operating expenses…