Field notes
Plain-English guides on screening rental listings quickly and honestly: the numbers that matter, what they mean, and how to avoid fooling yourself. No hype, no fabricated case studies.
I ran 20 Cleveland rentals as all-cash buys. Only 7 were worth it.
The 20 newest Cleveland listings ($60K to $200K), each run through Mortar as an all-cash buy. Every one makes money. Only 7 clear an 8% cap rate, and Zillow's tax estimate was off by half.
The best Zillow Chrome extensions for real estate investors (2026)
An honest look at the kinds of tools that analyze listings for investors — thin overlays, full web platforms, and sourcing tools — and how to pick the right one for how you actually work.
How to calculate rental property cash flow (the right way)
The cash-flow formula is simple; the trap is the expenses people leave out. Here's every line that belongs in an honest monthly number — including the ones that quietly sink a deal.
How to analyze a rental property in 60 seconds
A repeatable, five-step screen for deciding whether a listing is worth a deeper underwrite — and the four numbers that actually tell you.
Cap rate vs. cash-on-cash: which number actually matters?
They measure two different things, and conflating them is how investors talk past each other. A plain-English guide to when to use each.