When evaluating a potential rental property, what metric beyond capitalization rate (cap rate) provides a more comprehensive assessment of profitability, and why?

While the capitalization rate (cap rate) is a useful metric for quickly assessing the potential return on a rental property, it doesn't account for financing costs or future cash flows. A more comprehensive metric is cash flow after debt service, often analyzed in conjunction with cash-on-cash return. Cash flow after debt service represents the actual cash an investor receives each period after paying all operating expenses and mortgage payments. Cash-on-cash return then calculates the percentage of return earned on the actual cash invested (down payment and any initial capital expenditures). This provides a clearer picture of profitability because it considers the impact of leverage (mortgage financing). For example, two properties might have similar cap rates, but if one requires a larger down payment or has higher financing costs, its cash-on-cash return and overall profitability could be significantly lower. Analyzing cash flow after debt service and cash-on-cash return gives a more realistic view of an investor's actual return and helps in comparing different investment opportunities with varying financing structures.