How to spot an underperforming rental in 30 seconds
Will Koenig • December 10, 2025
More than 6 Million Americans own at least one rental property.
Yet very few advisors have a consistent process for evaluating the performance of these assets.
This gap is costing clients real money.
The big “A-ha” for me was when I noticed that many of these clients are also business owners.
Most have never done that math.
They treat the rental as a harmless side asset, when in reality it's often trapped capital earning a mediocre return.
Meanwhile, $200K deployed into hiring, equipment, marketing, or paying down business debt could generate far greater lift.
Start asking your self-employed clients a simple question: If you could sell this rental and free up $200K to invest back into your business, what could you turn that into?
That’s the point: shift the conversation from “Should we keep the rental?”
to “Is this the highest and best use of your capital?”
So, I’ve built a quick calculator
to help you change that.
It gives you a fast read on whether a client’s rental is actually performing or quietly dragging on their balance sheet.
Think of it as an x-ray of an asset that gives you an advantage as a wholistic advisor.
If a client has $100K of equity in a rental and $200K in investments,
you’re only managing a third of their real wealth if you ignore the property.
Use this tool during your annual reviews.
Bring it into your planning process every time you see a Schedule E.
Let it open the door to smarter discussions about efficiency, cash flow, tax treatment, and long-term strategy.
I’m giving you early access because it will save you time, save your clients money, and elevate the quality of the conversations you’re having.
If you want to walk through how to use it—or see how it fits into your current review process—reach out.
Let’s raise the standard together.
Save this link to the Schedule E Calculator:
https://service-5-quick-rental-analyzer-210772420114.us-west1.run.app/
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For decades, most mortgage lending has relied on Classic FICO.
Classic FICO gives lenders a snapshot of your credit at one point in time. It looks at things like payment history, balances, length of credit, credit mix, and recent credit activity.
Many homeowners feel stuck.
On one hand, you may have a mortgage rate that’s far lower than today’s market rates. Giving that up can feel like a mistake.
Homeownership is not just about getting the keys.
It is about caring for the place you live, protecting the investment you made, and making smart financial decisions along the way. At NEO Home Loans, we believe successful homeownership is built one month at a time through education, planning, and proactive support.
Do we make an offer and hope everything works out?
Do we wait and risk losing the home?
Do we rush our current home onto the market?
Unfortunately, this is where many homeowners find themselves.
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If you’re thinking about moving, you’ve probably run into this problem:
You want to buy your next home…
But you feel like you have to sell your current one first.
When most people look at a mortgage payment, they only see what it costs today.
But that may not be the best question.
A better question could be:
What will this same payment feel like 10 years from now?
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For the past few years, sellers had all the control. Homes sold fast. Buyers competed aggressively. And negotiating power was almost nonexistent.
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Today, we’re seeing a clear shift toward a more balanced market, and that creates opportunity if you know how to use it.
If you’re planning to buy a home this season, you’re stepping into a market full of opportunity.
More homes are coming to market. Activity is picking up. And it finally feels like you might have a real shot at finding the right home.
But there’s a challenge most buyers don’t realize until it’s too late.
