Who's Behind This Site
I'm Rick Powell, a real estate investor and licensed general contractor based in the Detroit metro area. My real estate education started the old-fashioned way — in 1985 I bought my first house, a fixer-upper, and learned to renovate it myself. That hands-on beginning set the foundation for everything that followed.
Over about 20 years of real estate work, including 10 years as a licensed real estate agent, I built a career as a licensed general contractor in California, working on residential properties and eventually partnering with real estate investors. When the 2007 financial crisis hit, I was right in the middle of it — working as the right-hand man to a seasoned investor who was buying and rehabbing distressed properties all through that downturn. That period was an intense, real-world master class in creative finance, deal analysis, and finding opportunities where others saw only risk.
I've spent years studying the creative financing strategies that make deals work when conventional bank loans won't. BRRRR, seller finance, subject-to, lease options — these aren't just buzzwords to me. I've seen them used in the real world, and I've run the numbers on plenty of deals myself.
My Background at a Glance
Why Creative Finance?
— Rick Powell
Most real estate calculators out there are built for simple buy-and-hold deals with conventional financing. But real investors know the best deals often require a more creative approach — and those deals need different math.
I built this site to fill that gap. Every calculator here is designed specifically for the strategies that working investors actually use: BRRRR analysis, seller financing amortization, subject-to deal evaluation, lease option structuring, and true cash-on-cash returns. Free, fast, and built for people who are serious about doing deals.
What You'll Find Here
Creative Finance Calc is a free toolkit for real estate investors who use non-traditional financing strategies. Whether you're evaluating a BRRRR deal, negotiating seller financing terms, analyzing a subject-to acquisition, or running cash-on-cash numbers on a rental — these calculators give you fast, clear answers.
All tools run entirely in your browser. No account needed, no data stored, no sign-up required. Just plug in your numbers and get the analysis you need to make a smart decision.