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Work out a rental listing's monthly cash flow for a buyer
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Your investor client wants a property's monthly cash flow. They always budget a 5% vacancy reserve and 8% property management, both on rent. Write exactly 3 numbered lines: 1) monthly fixed costs (converting yearly and quarterly bills to monthly), 2) reserves, 3) cash flow = rent − fixed − reserves, each with the math. Plain text, under 80 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not giving the reserve rules. The AI takes the seller at their word and skips vacancy and management. Try: Add: "Budget 5% vacancy and 8% management, both on rent."
- Mixing time periods. The AI adds yearly taxes or a quarterly HOA straight into a monthly sum. Try: Add: "Convert yearly ÷ 12 and quarterly ÷ 3 first."
- Not asking to see the work. Your client will check every number. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Fixed: 1,350 + 300 + 100 + 50 = $1,800"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 18 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in a client text. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives the reserve rules
- Converts to monthly
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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