Free ARV and MAO Calculator
The 70 percent rule in one box. Enter three numbers and get the most you can offer while leaving room for your buyer and your fee.
Watch a real deal get analyzed
This is WholesalerPro running a real address: photos scanned, rehab priced, comps pulled, offer calculated.
How the 70 percent rule works
The formula cash buyers and flippers live by:
MAO = (ARV x 70%) − rehab cost − your assignment fee
The 30 percent the buyer keeps is not pure profit. It covers their holding costs, purchase and resale closing costs, financing, and the profit that makes the flip worth doing. That is why padding your rehab number or inflating the ARV to "make the deal work" only produces a contract nobody will buy from you.
Where each number comes from
- ARV comes from sold comps: similar houses, similar size, same area, sold recently, in renovated condition. Read our guide on comping without MLS access if you are not an agent.
- Rehab is the number most people get wrong. Use the ranges in our rehab estimating guide, or let the AI estimator read the photos and price it for you.
- Your fee is whatever the spread supports. $5,000 to $15,000 is a typical range on entry level deals.
When 70 percent is the wrong number
In expensive or fast appreciating markets, buyers often accept 75 to 80 percent because the dollars are big enough at a thinner margin. On cheap houses (under about $100k ARV) many buyers want a bigger cushion, closer to 65 percent, because fixed costs eat a bigger share. Ask your cash buyers what they actually pay. The percentage is a starting point, not scripture.
Frequently asked questions
What does MAO mean in wholesaling?
MAO stands for maximum allowable offer: the most you can pay for a property while still leaving enough margin for your end buyer and your assignment fee. It is calculated as ARV times 70 percent, minus rehab costs, minus your fee.
What is ARV in real estate?
ARV means after repair value: what the property will sell for once fully renovated, based on recently sold comparable homes in the same area. It is the anchor every other number in a wholesale deal hangs from.
Is the 70 percent rule still valid in 2026?
Yes, as a starting point. In hot metros buyers routinely pay 75 to 80 percent of ARV, and on very cheap houses they may want 65 percent. The structure of the formula stays the same, you just tune the percentage to what cash buyers in your market actually accept.
The calculator handles the math. WholesalerPro handles everything else: it finds the ARV from real sold comps, reads the listing photos to price the rehab, and gives you the full offer breakdown in about 20 seconds.