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Playground Page

Test different investment scenarios without changing your original model

Tyler Sellars avatar
Written by Tyler Sellars
Updated over 2 months ago

The Playground Page in Cactus is designed for rapid experimentation. Whether you want to test a lower purchase price, tweak your hold period, or see how interest rates affect returns—this page lets you simulate those changes without modifying your original inputs.

Make informed decisions faster, with real-time impact on IRR, equity multiple, and profit.


🎯 What You Can Do on the Playground Page

Feature

Description

Playground Results Panel

See how changes affect key investment metrics like IRR, Cash-on-Cash Return, Total Profit, and Equity Multiple

Sliders for All Key Inputs

Adjust variables like purchase price, exit cap rate, loan terms, income, and expenses

Compare to Original Inputs

Easily compare your test case with your original scenario side-by-side

Update vs Save

Use Update Results to test a scenario, or Save Inputs to apply changes to your actual model


🧭 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Review the Results Section

At the top, you’ll see two columns:

  • Playground Results: Live calculations based on slider changes

  • Original Input Results: Your base case (from Income & Expenses, Financing, etc.)

This gives you a side-by-side view of how each scenario affects performance.


2. Adjust Investment Structure

Modify key deal assumptions using the sliders or input boxes:

  • Purchase Price

  • Rehab Cost / CAPEX

  • Working Capital Reserve

  • Closing Costs (% or flat amount)

  • Holding Period (Years)

  • Exit Cap Rate (%)

  • Exit Closing Costs (%)

  • Broker Commissions (%)

📌 Total Acquisition Cost updates automatically as you adjust.


3. Refine the Operation Section

Toggle the “Has Value Add Plan” switch to test value-add improvements.

Or adjust the “Current” operations directly:

  • Income / Other Income

  • Vacancy %

  • Loss to Lease %

  • Expenses (flat or %)

  • CAPEX Reserve (%)

Use the Growth Target section to set:

  • Revenue Growth Rate (% per year)

  • Expense Growth Rate (% per year)


4. Tweak Financing Assumptions

Scroll to the Financing section to explore how changes to debt impact returns:

  • Loan Amount

  • Interest Rate (%)

  • Amortization Period (Years)

  • Interest Only Period (Years)

📈 These changes instantly update your IRR, CoC return, and valuation in the Playground Results panel.


5. Click “Update Results”

After making any changes, press Update Results to calculate your new scenario.

Your updated IRR, Total Profit, and Cash-on-Cash Return will be shown immediately. You'll also see how far your new results deviate (as a %) from the original scenario.


6. Want to Keep the Changes? Click “Save Inputs”

Once you're happy with your test scenario, press Save Inputs to overwrite the original values across your model.

📌 Until you hit “Save Inputs,” your original assumptions stay untouched.


💡 Pro Tips

  • Use this page during investment committee meetings to quickly evaluate deal sensitivity.

  • Keep the Playground open in another tab while reviewing market comps or loan options.

  • Great for “What-if” modeling like:

    • “What happens if we get 90% LTC?”

    • “What if rent growth slows by 1%?”

    • “What if we exit at a 6.5% cap rate?”


📘 Summary

The Playground Page is your real-time sandbox for underwriting. It lets you test new ideas, understand risk, and visualize upside or downside—without breaking your original assumptions.

Change a few sliders, click Update, and instantly see what it means for your IRR, cash returns, and valuation.

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