Run your own numbers
LiveStart from the Carlton Landing defaults, then drag anything to match the home and life you have in mind. The two modes above change how the tax math works — that's not a gimmick, it's the actual difference in how the IRS treats the property.
1 The home & financing
2 Annual ownership costs
Insurance, HOA dues, utilities, maintenance & repair reserves, combined.
3 Rental income
4 Family use & growth
The true ownership view · typical year
Mortgage (principal & interest)
Taxes, insurance, HOA & upkeep
Less net rental income
Less estimated tax benefit
Less equity from appreciation
Net economic cost of ownership
First-year tax windfall · cost segregation
Three ways to spend the same dollars
10-year viewThis is the difference between thinking like a consumer and thinking like an investor. Each path starts with roughly the same cash out of your pocket. Watch what each one is worth after a decade.
Most people
Keep renting, park the cash
Don't buy. Invest the down payment, and keep paying to rent vacations every year.
Net worth from these dollars
Invested cash grows to
Vacations rented (gone)
Return on the cash you put in
Cautious
Buy it with cash
Pay in full. Safe and simple — but a large amount of capital sits locked in one asset.
Net worth from these dollars
Home equity at year-end
Cash flow + tax kept
Cash tied up to do it
Return on the cash you put in
Most capital-efficient
Finance the asset
Control the whole property with a slice of cash. Leverage, a renter, and the tax code do the heavy lifting.
Net worth from these dollars
Home equity at year-end
Cash flow + tax over time
Cash you actually put in
Return on the cash you put in
How hard your money works
Net worth built from your starting cash, by path.
The honest part
- Leverage cuts both ways. The same borrowing that magnifies your return on cash will magnify a loss if values fall. Returns are measured on the cash you put in, and that cash is real.
- Rental income is variable. Nightly rates and occupancy swing with season and demand. The figures here are estimates, not a forecast or guarantee.
- The W-2 tax offset has conditions. Using rental losses against wages generally requires running it as a short-term rental (average stays of seven days or fewer) with material participation, and keeping personal use under the residence threshold. The family-retreat path shelters rental income but does not offset W-2 income.
- Depreciation comes back later. Accelerated and bonus depreciation are recaptured when you sell unless deferred through a 1031 exchange. Front-loaded benefits are timing, not free money.
- Appreciation isn't promised. Carlton Landing's scarcity is real, but no rate is guaranteed. We let you model conservative, moderate, and aggressive on purpose.
- This isn't tax or investment advice. Confirm depreciation, participation hours, and personal-use limits with a qualified CPA before relying on any number here.
The full picture, before you decide.
When the numbers warrant a closer look, we'll walk through the home, the rental outlook, and how to structure ownership so the figures here hold.
Arrange a conversation