Real Estate Tips & Guides

Roof & Ratio Deal Analyzer for flip and rental deals

The 70% Rule for Fix and Flips: How to Find Your Maximum Offer
|Marchelle Cook
The 70% rule is the fastest way to screen a flip, and the easiest way to overpay if you treat it as gospel. Here is the formula, a worked example,... Read more...
Roof & Ratio Rental Property Profit and Cash Flow Tracker

Year-End Tax Prep for Landlords: The Records to Gather Before December 31
|Marchelle Cook
Tax season for landlords is won or lost in the last quarter of the year. Here is what to gather, what changed for 1099s in 2026, and how to sort... Read more...
Roof & Ratio Maintenance Request and Work Order Manager for landlords

How to Winterize a Rental Property: A Landlord's Freeze-Prep Checklist
|Marchelle Cook
A burst pipe in a rental is a repair bill, a displaced tenant and an insurance claim all at once. Here is what to check in the fall, what to... Read more...
Roof & Ratio Down Payment and Savings Planner for Homebuyers

How Much Down Payment Do You Really Need to Buy a Home?
|Marchelle Cook
The 20% rule is a target, not a requirement. Here is the minimum for each loan type, what a smaller down payment costs each month, and how to pick your... Read more...
MyRatioTable free ratio calculator: simplify, solve, scale and split, by Marchelle Cook, Roof & Ratio.

How to Scale Project Materials With a Ratio Calculator
|Marchelle Cook
Learn how to scale material quantities, account for waste and round to package sizes with worked examples and the free MyRatioTable calculator. Read more...
Open House Lead Tracker — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

How to Organize Open House and Rental Showing Follow-Up
|Marchelle Cook
Turn showing notes into clear next actions while keeping sales leads and rental inquiries distinct. Includes a factual follow-up example and tracking tips. Read more...
Owner Finder — Skip-Trace & Outreach Tool — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

How to Organize Property Owner Research Before Investor Outreach
|Marchelle Cook
Keep property records, source dates, ownership questions and contact preferences organized before outreach. Includes a research workflow and deal-screening example. Read more...
Subcontractor Bid Comparison & Award Tool — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

Contractor Preconstruction Checklist: Bids, Permits and Trade Documents
|Marchelle Cook
Compare subcontractor scope, organize permit and inspection milestones, and review trade documents before work starts. Includes a bid comparison example. Read more...
Lease Renewal & Rent Review Planner — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

Lease Renewal and Rent Review: A Practical Planning Checklist
|Marchelle Cook
Organize lease expirations, comparable rents, renewal assumptions and follow-up tasks without confusing an internal reminder with a legal deadline. Read more...
Maintenance Request & Work Order Manager — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

How to Organize Rental Maintenance Requests From Report to Completion
|Marchelle Cook
Keep rental maintenance requests, vendors, costs and appliance records connected with a clear work-order workflow and a fictional repair example. Read more...
Rent Collection & Delinquency Tracker — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

Monthly Rental Property Bookkeeping: Rent, Expenses and Owner Statements
|Marchelle Cook
Reconcile rent, expenses, debt payments and owner distributions with a repeatable monthly checklist and a fictional property example. Read more...
Contractor Lead & Estimate Follow-Up CRM — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

How to Follow Up on Contractor Estimates Without Losing Track
|Marchelle Cook
Create a simple estimate follow-up process with clear stages, next actions and honest pipeline numbers. Includes an example and a useful follow-up message. Read more...
Contractor Invoice & Draw Payment Tracker — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

How to Track Contractor Invoices, Progress Draws and Project Closeout
|Marchelle Cook
Separate contract value, invoices and cash received, then connect the final balance to punch-list and warranty records. Includes a worked billing example. Read more...
Contractor Project Schedule & Gantt Tool — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

How to Build a Remodeling Schedule That Accounts for Materials and Decisions
|Marchelle Cook
Plan a remodel around task dependencies, material deliveries and client decisions, with a simple sequencing example and practical tracking tools. Read more...
Plan Your Renovation Budget: material samples, plans and a measuring tape.

How to Set a Renovation Budget Before Hiring a Contractor
|Marchelle Cook
Build an all-in renovation budget with a clear scope, allowances, contingency and household costs before comparing contractor proposals. Read more...
Complete Homebuyer Checklist — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

Homebuyer Checklist: From Your First Budget to Move-In
|Marchelle Cook
Organize the homebuying process with a stage-by-stage checklist, cash-planning example and practical tools for comparing homes and preparing to move. Read more...
Curb Appeal That Pays™ — Workbook + eBook — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

How to Plan a Curb Appeal Budget Without Overspending
|Marchelle Cook
Build a curb appeal budget around repairs, visible improvements and ongoing upkeep. Includes a fictional budget and a project-priority checklist. Read more...
Fix, Sell or Stay™ — Homeowner Workbook + eBook — Roof & Ratio digital planning tool cover

Should You Renovate, Sell or Stay? Compare the Real Costs
|Marchelle Cook
Compare selling as-is, renovating before a sale and staying put with a clear cost example, decision checklist and homeowner planning tools. Read more...
Compare Cities Before You Move: two different miniature city skylines, house model, moving box and planning notebook.

How to Compare Cities Before You Move: Start With the Numbers
|Marchelle Cook
Compare housing costs and commute estimates before your next move with Roof & Ratio’s free nationwide tool—and see what’s planned for the premium moving planner. Read more...
Your Home's Maintenance History: a neatly tabbed home records binder, service receipts, brass pen and model house.

What to Keep in Your Home Maintenance Records: A Simple House History
|Marchelle Cook
Build a useful home maintenance record with service dates, invoices, equipment details, warranties, and follow-up tasks. Read more...
Compare Renovation Quotes: three contractor quote clipboards, material samples, brass ruler and calculator.

How to Compare Renovation Quotes When the Prices Are Far Apart
|Marchelle Cook
Learn how to compare contractor scope, materials, allowances, exclusions, and timing before choosing a renovation quote. Read more...
Rental Repair Reserves: house model, repair wrench, savings jar with brass coins and maintenance notebook.

Rental Property Repair Reserves: Budget for the Bills That Do Not Arrive Monthly
|Marchelle Cook
A practical way to separate everyday repairs, major replacements, and vacancy costs when planning a rental property's cash needs. Read more...
Roof & Ratio Contractor Estimate & Job Profit Tool for pricing bids and planning job profit

How to Write a Contractor Bid That Wins the Job Without Losing Money
|Marchelle Cook
A low bid can win the job and lose the profit. Here's how contractors can build a bid that covers direct costs and overhead, plans for real profit and spells... Read more...
Roof & Ratio Investor Deal Analysis Workbook for estimating a property's repair budget and investment costs

How to Estimate Rehab Costs Before You Make an Offer
|Marchelle Cook
Rehab overruns are the number one way investors lose money on a deal. Here's a step-by-step way to estimate repair costs before you offer, and how to use the 70%... Read more...
Where Your Mortgage Payment Goes: house model, calculator and coins on a navy desk.

Mortgage Amortization: How Extra Payments Reduce Interest
|Marchelle Cook
See how mortgage amortization works and compare $100, $200 and $300 in extra monthly principal with a clear example and downloadable calculator. Read more...
Seller Financing Explained: a house model, brass pen, promissory note folder and calculator.

Seller Financing Explained: How Owner-Financed Deals Work for Buyers and Sellers
|Marchelle Cook
In a seller-financed deal, the seller acts as the bank. Here's how the terms work, a sample payment breakdown, the risks on both sides, and what to check before you... Read more...
Security Deposit Records: rental keys, move-in checklist, a small camera and a home model.

Security Deposits: A Landlord's Guide to Avoiding Disputes
|Marchelle Cook
Most security deposit disputes come down to documentation and deadlines. A simple move-in to move-out process that protects landlords and treats tenants fairly. Read more...
Pricing a Home: three miniature houses of differing sizes, a calculator and tidy market report.

How to Price a Home: A Plain-English Guide to the CMA
|Marchelle Cook
How a comparative market analysis works, from choosing comps and making adjustments to reading the market, with a quick example. Read more...
Read Your Home Inspection: a model house, inspection clipboard, flashlight and magnifying glass.

How to Read a Home Inspection Report (and What to Ask the Seller For)
|Marchelle Cook
How to sort inspection findings into what matters and what doesn't, and your options for negotiating repairs or credits. Read more...
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Rentals: two house models, guest keys, a folded towel, lease folder and small calendar.

Short-Term Rental vs. Long-Term Rental: Which Makes More Money?
|Marchelle Cook
Short-term rentals can earn more, but not always. A side-by-side example and a stress test that shows how quickly the advantage can shrink. Read more...
Understand Your Home Equity: an ivory house model, calculator and three arranged planning folders.

HELOC vs. Home Equity Loan vs. Cash-Out Refinance: Which Fits Your Plans?
|Marchelle Cook
Three ways to tap your home equity, how much you may be able to borrow, and the questions to ask before you do. Read more...
Manage Change Orders: renovation floor plans, a change-order clipboard, brass pen and measuring tape.

Change Orders: How Contractors Keep Extra Work From Eating Their Profit
|Marchelle Cook
Extra work done on a handshake often never gets billed. What a change order should include and how to price it correctly. Read more...
Mortgage Pre-Approval: organized document folders, calculator, keys and a small home model.

Getting Ready for Mortgage Pre-Approval: Your DTI and Document Checklist
|Marchelle Cook
How to calculate your debt-to-income ratio, what documents to gather, and the mistakes to avoid before mortgage pre-approval. Read more...
Compare Multiple Offers: three offer folders with blank paper, model house, brass pen and calculator.

How to Compare Multiple Offers on a Home (It's Not Just the Price)
|Marchelle Cook
The highest price isn't always the best offer. How to compare multiple offers by net proceeds, risk, and what the seller values most. Read more...
Seasonal Home Maintenance: a home model beside HVAC filter, small pruning shears and a maintenance clipboard.

The Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist Every Homeowner Needs
|Marchelle Cook
Small, cheap fixes prevent big, expensive ones. A simple season-by-season checklist and how much to budget for home maintenance. Read more...
Rent vs. Buy: two ivory house models, keys, a calculator and two neatly arranged blank planning cards.

Rent vs. Buy: How to Decide Which Makes More Sense for You
|Marchelle Cook
Is renting really throwing money away? A fair way to compare renting and buying, including the popular 5% rule and why time matters. Read more...
1031 Exchange Planning: two model investment buildings, an understated blank calendar and brass pen.

1031 Exchange Timeline: The 45-Day and 180-Day Rules Explained
|Marchelle Cook
The 45-day and 180-day deadlines, the three identification rules, and a practical timeline for planning a 1031 exchange. Read more...
House Hacking: an elegant model duplex with two distinct front doors and a set of keys.

House Hacking: How to Live for Less and Start Investing in Real Estate
|Marchelle Cook
How house hacking works, the most common strategies, why owner-occupant financing helps, and a simple duplex example. Read more...
The BRRRR Method: a small renovation house model, paint brush, keys and investment notebook.

The BRRRR Method Explained: Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat
|Marchelle Cook
How the BRRRR strategy works step by step, a worked example of how much cash you can recover, and the mistakes that sink BRRRR deals. Read more...
Rental Turnover Checklist: keys, a blank checklist clipboard, paint roller and miniature rental house.

The Rental Turnover Checklist: How Landlords Cut Vacancy Days
|Marchelle Cook
Every vacant day costs money. A step-by-step rental turnover checklist to get units rent-ready faster, plus how to calculate the cost of vacancy. Read more...
Markup vs. Margin: a contractor's estimate clipboard, brass ruler, calculator and wood sample.

Markup vs. Margin: How Contractors Protect Profit on Every Job
|Marchelle Cook
A 20% markup is not a 20% profit margin. Here's the difference, the formula to price jobs correctly, and where profit leaks after the estimate. Read more...
Plan Your Closing Costs: a model starter house, keys, calculator and a tidy folder of home purchase papers.

Closing Costs for Homebuyers: What to Expect and How to Estimate Cash to Close
|Marchelle Cook
Closing costs catch many first-time buyers off guard. Here's what they include, typical ranges, and how to estimate your cash to close. Read more...
Seller Net Sheets: an ivory model house, brass keys, calculator and neatly stacked closing documents.

What Is a Seller Net Sheet? How to Estimate What You'll Walk Away With
|Marchelle Cook
The sale price isn't what lands in your bank account. Here's how a seller net sheet works and what to include, with an example. Read more...
Know Your Rental Cash Flow: a model house, keys, calculator and ledger.

How to Calculate Rental Property Cash Flow
|Marchelle Cook
Calculate rental cash flow, cap rate and cash-on-cash return with a worked example, then use Roof & Ratio’s downloadable deal analyzer. Read more...