← Back to BlogMay 202610 min readDan White
How to Calculate After Repair Value (ARV) for Any Property
ARV is what a property will sell for after renovation. It's the most important number in any flip or BRRRR deal — and it's only as good as the comps you pull. Here's how to find it accurately.
Every number in a fix-and-flip deal flows from ARV. Your max offer, your 70% rule check, your profit projection — all of it starts with an accurate after-repair value. Get ARV wrong and everything downstream is wrong.
Northern Virginia Market
Live Market Data
Washington, DC Housing Market
Cool Market
Data through Mar 2026
Median Sale Price
$590,000
+0.8% YoY
Median Days on Market
44 days
lower = faster market
Sale-to-List Ratio
99.7%
buyers' market
Homes Sold
4,457
last reported month
Source: Redfin Data Center. Updated monthly. Data reflects Washington, DC residential sales.
redfin.comWhat Makes a Good Comparable Sale
- Location: Within 0.5 miles in urban areas, 1 mile in suburban, up to 3 miles in rural. Same neighborhood or subdivision is ideal.
- Recency: Sold within 90 days. Use 6 months max in slow markets. Older comps may not reflect current conditions.
- Size: Within 15–20% of your property's square footage.
- Condition: Fully renovated or move-in ready — you're selling a renovated product, so comp against renovated properties.
- Bed/bath count: Match as closely as possible. A 3/2 doesn't comp well against a 4/3.
Where to Pull Comps
MLS (Best Source)
If you're a licensed agent or have a relationship with one, MLS comps are the most accurate and detailed. You can filter by all the criteria above and see actual sold prices, not asking prices.
Rentcast (Third-Party Verification)
Rentcast pulls comparable sales automatically by address. Useful for quick estimates and — critically — as third-party verified data you can include in your dispo package to build buyer confidence. FreeDealCalc integrates Rentcast directly.
Zillow/Redfin (Free Approximation)
Public comp data. Less accurate than MLS but useful for quick sanity checks. Always verify against MLS before making an offer.
How to Adjust Comps
No two properties are identical. Adjust your comp prices for differences in size, beds/baths, lot size, garage, and condition. Rule of thumb: $15–$25/sq ft for size adjustments in moderate markets; $50–$75/sq ft in high-cost markets like Northern Virginia.
If your three comps sell at $380,000, $395,000, and $410,000, and your property is slightly smaller than the middle comp, your adjusted ARV might be $370,000–$385,000. Use the conservative end for your offer math.
Get Rentcast Verified ARV in Seconds
FreeDealCalc pulls Rentcast comps automatically by address — ARV with third-party verification, included in your free deal analysis.
Get My ARV Free →Common ARV Mistakes
- Using active listings (asking prices) instead of sold comps
- Accepting the wholesaler's ARV without pulling your own comps
- Using distressed sales as comps for a renovated product
- Ignoring condition — a 2023 renovation comps differently than a 2015 renovation
- Not adjusting for significant size differences between the subject and comps
Dan White is a licensed Virginia real estate agent at Pearson Smith Realty and founder of FreeDealCalc.com. He pulls comps on every deal before making an offer.