Skip to main content
Property Management Excellence
Home Book Author Principles Tools Blog Glossary
Order the book
HomeBookAuthor PrinciplesTools BlogGlossary
  1. Home
  2. Glossary
  3. Property Finance, Accounting, and Investment

Property Management Excellence Glossary

Property Finance, Accounting, and Investment

Financial terms become useful when they improve an owner decision. This collection connects accounting records, operating performance, risk, capital allocation, and investment outcomes so owners and managers can evaluate what the numbers mean and what should happen next.

Curated definitions

Explore Finance, Accounting & Investment

Finance, Accounting & Investment

1031 Exchange

A 1031 Exchange is a U.S.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Accounts Payable

Accounts Payable is money the property owes to vendors, utilities, taxing authorities, insurers, and other parties.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable is money owed to the property, including rent, recoveries, fees, reimbursements, and other billed charges.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Acquisition Fee

An acquisition fee compensates the sponsor for sourcing, underwriting, financing, and closing an investment.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Aged Receivables

Aged Receivables is the report grouping unpaid amounts by the length of time outstanding.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Amortization

Amortization is the scheduled repayment of loan principal over time through periodic payments.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Appreciation

Appreciation is the increase in property value over time due to market conditions, income growth, improved condition, reduced risk, or other factors.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Asset Management Fee

An asset management fee compensates the sponsor or asset manager for strategic oversight of an investment, including business-plan execution, reporting,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Bad Debt

Bad Debt is a receivable that is unlikely to be collected based on age, circumstances, legal status, or collection history.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Break-Even Occupancy

Break-Even Occupancy is the occupancy level at which property revenue is sufficient to cover the expenses included in the calculation.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Budget Variance

Budget Variance is the difference between budgeted and actual performance for a defined line item and period.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Budget versus Actual

Budget versus Actual compares planned income and expenses with the amounts recorded for the same period.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Cap Rate

Cap Rate, or capitalization rate, is net operating income divided by property value or purchase price.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Capital Call

A capital call is a request for investors to contribute additional funds under the governing agreement.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Cash Flow

Cash Flow is the cash generated or consumed after income and required cash expenses during a period.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Cash Management

Cash management is the system for forecasting receipts and disbursements, maintaining reserves, controlling bank activity, timing owner distributions,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Cash-on-Cash Return

Cash-on-Cash Return is annual pre-tax cash flow divided by the actual cash invested.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Chart of Accounts

A Chart of Accounts is the standardized list of income, expense, asset, liability, equity, and other account categories used to code property transactions.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Comparable Property

A Comparable Property is an asset selected for comparison based on relevant similarities such as location, use, size, age, condition, tenant profile,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Cost Basis

Cost basis is the tax and accounting value assigned to an investment, generally starting with purchase cost and adjusted for capital improvements,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the possibility that a tenant, borrower, or counterparty will fail to meet payment obligations.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Debt Service

Debt service is the principal and interest required on a loan during a period.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Debt Service Coverage Ratio

Debt Service Coverage Ratio is net operating income divided by required debt service for the same period.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Debt Yield

Debt Yield is net operating income divided by the outstanding loan amount.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Depreciation

Depreciation is the allocation of the tax or accounting basis of certain property improvements over their permitted useful lives.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Distribution Waterfall

A distribution waterfall defines how cash flow and sale proceeds are allocated among investors and sponsors across sequential tiers.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Due Diligence

Due Diligence is the structured investigation of a property, lease portfolio, financial history, physical condition, compliance, contracts, title,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Equity

Equity is the owner’s residual interest in a property after subtracting debt and other senior claims from value.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Equity Multiple

Equity Multiple is total cash distributed to investors divided by total equity invested.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Exit Strategy

An Exit Strategy is the planned path for realizing, refinancing, transferring, or otherwise repositioning an investment.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Forecast

A Forecast is the current estimate of future property performance based on actual results, known commitments, market conditions, leasing expectations,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

General Ledger

The General Ledger is the complete accounting record of property transactions organized by account.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

General Partner

The general partner is the sponsor or managing party responsible for finding, financing, operating, and ultimately exiting a syndicated investment.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Hold Period

Hold Period is the length of time an owner expects to retain an investment before sale, transfer, recapitalization, or other exit.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Interest-Only Loan

An interest-only loan requires interest payments without scheduled principal reduction during the interest-only period.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Internal Rate of Return

Internal Rate of Return is the discount rate that makes the present value of projected cash inflows and outflows equal to zero.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Leverage

Leverage is the use of debt to finance a property or investment.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Limited Partner

A limited partner contributes capital to a real estate investment but generally does not manage day-to-day operations.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Loan Maturity

Loan maturity is the date the outstanding loan balance becomes due.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Loan-to-Value Ratio

Loan-to-Value Ratio is the loan balance divided by the property’s value.

Multifamily + Commercial

Featured

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Net Operating Income

Net Operating Income is property income remaining after normal operating expenses and before debt service, income taxes, depreciation, and most capital...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Operating Budget

An Operating Budget is the time-phased plan for property income and recurring operating expenses, built from lease terms, contracts, historical patterns,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Operating Expense

An Operating Expense is a recurring cost required to operate and maintain the property, such as utilities, routine repairs, insurance, taxes, contracts,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Operating Expense Ratio

The operating expense ratio compares operating expenses with effective gross income.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Owner Distribution

An Owner Distribution is cash transferred from the property or management account to the owner after considering collected funds, paid obligations,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Owner Statement

An Owner Statement is the periodic financial summary provided to the property owner, typically showing income, expenses, cash activity, balances,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Preferred Return

A preferred return is a priority return distributed to specified investors before profits are split under later tiers of the waterfall.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Pro Forma

A Pro Forma is a forward-looking model of expected income, expenses, capital needs, financing, and returns based on stated assumptions.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Property Management Fee

A property management fee compensates the manager for agreed operating services.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Property Valuation

Property Valuation is the process of estimating what a property is worth using income, comparable sales, replacement cost, market conditions, lease risk,...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Refinance

A refinance replaces existing debt with a new loan, often to change the interest rate, term, proceeds, or lender.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Reforecast

A Reforecast is a formal update to the expected full-year or future result after actual performance or assumptions change.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Rent Collection Rate

Rent Collection Rate is the amount of rent collected divided by the amount due for a stated period, using a clearly defined timing and treatment of prior...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Resident Ledger

A Resident Ledger is the transaction-level record of charges, payments, credits, adjustments, deposits, and balance for a residential tenancy.

Multifamily

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Return on Investment

Return on Investment compares the gain or benefit from an investment with the amount invested.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Syndication

A real estate syndication pools capital from multiple investors to acquire and operate a property.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Trailing Twelve Months

Trailing Twelve Months is a rolling statement of the most recent twelve months of operating performance.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Value-Add Strategy

A Value-Add Strategy seeks to improve property income, condition, tenant appeal, operations, or risk profile through targeted capital and management...

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Write-Off

A Write-Off is the accounting removal of a receivable from active collectible balances when it meets the organization’s criteria.

Multifamily + Commercial

Finance, Accounting & Investment

Yield on Cost

Yield on Cost is stabilized net operating income divided by total project cost.

Multifamily + Commercial

Search this glossary discipline

Property Management Excellence

Values-based definitions, operating guidance, and practical tools for owners, investors, and property teams.

Explore all glossary terms

Learn

The book PME principles Practical tools Articles and guides Glossary

Browse definitions

Leadership and PME principles Management systems Maintenance and capital Finance and investment Property types

From ideas to operations

Anthony A. Luna Coastline Equity services Owner guides and operating proof PME newsletter Order the book
© 2026 Property Management Excellence Privacy policy