This Is Better Than the 1% Rule (New Real Estate Rule)

On The Market · Sep 15, 2026 · 30m

The rules of real estate investing have changed.

For years, investors were using the one-percent rule to quickly determine if a real estate deal would cash flow. But the one-percent rule, rent-to-price ratio, and other common rules of thumb have a glaring blind spot. They account for purchase price, but they don’t account for expenses.

Meanwhile, mortgage rates, taxes, and insurance have all risen across the board—expenses that can easily kill your cash flow.

So, Dave’s come up with a new rule of thumb you can use to quickly analyze rental properties and markets. He’s calling it the…