Overview
real-estate-example
Financial dashboard for real-estate-example. View account balances, net worth trends, and income/expense summaries.
Financial position
Net worth and the accounts that make it up
Money movement
Monthly income and spending by account category
November 2025
Recent activity
Posting-aware activity from the journal
Transactions
Newest transactions matching the current dashboard filters
Income vs Expenses
Income vs Expenses
Bar chart comparing total income and expenses for each interval in the selected period.
Balance Sheet
Assets Distribution
Visual representation of real-estate-example assets composition
Liabilities Distribution
Visual representation of real-estate-example liabilities composition
Chart is empty.
Cash Flow
Cash Flow
Money flow from income sources to expenses and investments
README.md
Real Estate Accounting Example — beancount.io
A comprehensive Beancount ledger demonstrating rental property accounting: purchase with mortgage, rental income, depreciation, capital improvements, property sale with depreciation recapture, and tax planning.
Quick Start
bashmake install # Install beancount + fava via uv make check # Verify the ledger has zero errors make serve # Open Fava at http://localhost:4740
Scenario
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Property | 123 Main St, Anytown, CA 90210 (residential rental) |
| Purchase | March 15, 2024 for $400,000 (20% down, 7% 30-year mortgage) |
| Land/Building | $80K / $320K (only building is depreciable) |
| Rent | $2,400/mo (2024), $2,500/mo (2025) |
| Property Manager | 8% of gross rent |
| Sale | November 15, 2025 for $435,000 |
File Guide
| File | What it demonstrates |
|---|---|
main.bean | Entry point — options, plugins, and include directives |
accounts.bean | Commodity definition (PROP123MAIN) and account chart |
prices/2024-2025.bean | Quarterly property valuations for Fava Holdings view |
transactions/purchase.bean | Down payment, mortgage, closing costs, security deposit |
transactions/mortgage-payments.bean | Monthly P&I + escrow, property tax & insurance disbursements |
transactions/rental-income.bean | Monthly rent, 8% PM fees, rent increase, deposit return |
transactions/operating-expenses.bean | HVAC repair, plumbing, landscaping, pest control |
transactions/depreciation.bean | IRS 27.5-year straight-line with mid-month convention |
transactions/capital-improvements.bean | Water heater + appliances (add to cost basis) |
transactions/sale.bean | Commission, mortgage payoff, depreciation recapture + LTCG |
transactions/tax-planning.bean | Year-end and post-sale balance assertions |
Key Concepts Demonstrated
- Property as commodity — PROP123MAIN enables Fava Holdings view with appreciation tracking
- Contra-asset depreciation — AccumDepreciation shows gross cost and write-down on balance sheet
- Mid-month convention — half-month depreciation in months of acquisition and disposition
- Security deposits as liabilities — not income until forfeited; returned at lease end
- Escrow impound account — monthly contributions disbursed for property tax and insurance
- Depreciation recapture (§1250) — taxed separately from long-term capital gains at sale
- Balance assertions — year-end reconciliation catches data-entry mistakes
Key Numbers
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly depreciation | $969.70 ($320K / 27.5 / 12) |
| 2024 depreciation (9.5 months) | $9,212.15 |
| 2025 depreciation (10.5 months) | $10,181.85 |
| Total accumulated depreciation | $19,394.00 |
| Adjusted basis at sale | $386,606.00 |
| Net sale proceeds | $408,900.00 |
| Total gain | $22,294.00 |
| — Depreciation recapture | $19,394.00 (max 25% tax rate) |
| — Long-term capital gain | $2,900.00 (LTCG tax rates) |
Useful Commands
bashmake balances # Show all account balances make holdings # Show holdings with market values make income # Show income statement make check # Verify ledger integrity