What is levered free cash flow in real estate?
What is "Levered Free Cash Flow" in Real Estate?
Levered Free Cash Flow (LFCF) refers to the amount of cash that a property or real estate investment generates after accounting for all financial obligations, including debt payments. It's a specific measure used to evaluate the performance and financial health of an investment property, offering insights into the cash available to equity investors after servicing debt.
Here's a breakdown of how LFCF is calculated and what it signifies:
- Start with Net Operating Income (NOI): This is the total income from the property minus operating expenses. NOI is a pre-finance and pre-tax figure that represents the property's earnings from its core operations.
- Subtract Debt Service: This includes all principal and interest payments due on any loans secured by the property. Debt service is a crucial consideration in levered investments because it reflects the cost of utilizing leverage (debt) to finance the purchase or development of the property.
- Adjust for Capital Expenditures (CapEx): Deduct any capital expenditures, which are funds used by a company to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets such as property, industrial buildings, or equipment. In real estate, CapEx may include costs for improving or maintaining the property to ensure its value and income potential are sustained or increased.
- Consider Cash Reserves: Depending on the analysis, you might adjust for cash reserves set aside for future expenses, emergencies, or specific projects. This step can vary based on the investor's or analyst's approach to financial management and risk assessment.
Levered Free Cash Flow provides investors with a clear picture of the cash available to them after all property-related obligations are met. It's a vital metric for assessing the viability of a leveraged real estate investment, especially when considering distributions to equity investors, reinvestment potential, or the capacity to raise more debt. LFCF helps investors understand the true cash-generating ability of a property after accounting for the financial costs of leverage.
