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Define Internal Rate of Return (IRR) in Real Estate

Internal Rate of Return (IRR): 

The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is a way to measure how good an investment is, like buying a property that makes money through rent. It's a percentage that shows how much money you can expect to make each year, compared to the amount of money you invested.

Example: 

Imagine you buy an apartment building for $500,000 and you expect to make $50,000 in rent each year. The IRR would help you figure out if this is a good investment by showing you the yearly return rate. If the IRR is 10%, that means you're making 10% of your initial investment ($50,000) each year.

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To calculate the Internal Rate of Return (IRR), you need to consider the initial investment, cash flows from the investment, and the duration of the investment. Here's a simplified example:

Imagine you're investing in a rental property. The following details are relevant:

Initial investment (purchase price): $100,000
Annual rental income (cash inflow): $10,000
Investment duration: 5 years

To determine the IRR, you would use a financial calculator (HP12c) or spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel, which has an IRR function built-in. You'll input the cash flows from each year, including the initial investment (as a negative number since it's an outflow) and the annual rental income.

Here's how the cash flows would look:

Year 0: -$100,000 (Initial investment)
Year 1: $10,000 (Rental income)
Year 2: $10,000 (Rental income)
Year 3: $10,000 (Rental income)
Year 4: $10,000 (Rental income)
Year 5: $10,000 (Rental income)
Using a financial calculator or spreadsheet software, input these cash flows and calculate the IRR. In this example, the IRR would be approximately 10%. This means that the investment generates an average annual return of 10% over the 5-year period.

Keep in mind that this example is simplified, and the actual calculation might involve additional factors, such as taxes, property management fees, and changes in rental income over time.

To calculate the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) using an HP 12C financial calculator.
Here's how you can do it using the example we discussed earlier:

Initial investment (purchase price): $100,000
Annual rental income (cash inflow): $10,000
Investment duration: 5 years

Follow these steps to calculate the IRR on an HP 12C:

Turn on the calculator and clear any previous data by pressing the [f] key, followed by the [CLX] key.

Enter the initial investment as a negative number by pressing [100000], then [CHS], followed by [g] and [CF0]. This sets the initial investment as the cash flow for Year 0.

Enter the annual rental income by pressing [10000], then [g] and [CFj].

Set the frequency of the cash flows by pressing [5], then [g] and [Nj]. This tells the calculator that the rental income repeats for five years.

Calculate the IRR by pressing [f] and [IRR]. The calculator will display the IRR as a percentage. In this example, the IRR is approximately 10%.

Remember that this example is simplified, and real-world calculations may involve additional factors, such as taxes, property management fees, and changes in rental income over time.
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In the land of investments and gains,
The Internal Rate of Return reigns.
A percentage to guide your way,
To see if your investment will pay.

With income properties, we do find,
The IRR helps make up our mind.
It shows the yearly return we get,
From our investment, like a safety net.

If we invest in a building so tall,
The IRR helps us know, once and for all,
How much we'll make, year by year,
A way to check if our choice is clear.

So when investing in properties grand,
The Internal Rate of Return takes a stand,
To help us know, with a guiding light,
If our investment choice is right.

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