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 the next few decades 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 also hold a real estate license and have 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.