FlipDrive IQ Calculator | Max Buy, Profit, and ROI

Q: Do I need an account to use this calculator?

You can read the formula and the page without an account. Sign in or create an account when you run the calculation.

Max Buy without JavaScript

Enable JavaScript for the interactive calculator, or compute manually:

Max Buy = Expected Resale ÷ (1 + Target ROI) − Repairs − Fees − Transport

Example: Expected Resale $12,000, ROI 20%, repairs $1,200, fees $350, transport $150 → Max Buy = $12,000 ÷ 1.20 − $1,700 = $8,300.

Read the full walkthrough: How to calculate Max Buy.

FlipDrive IQ Calculator

Enter ask, resale, recon, and fees. Get Max Buy, profit, ROI, and a Buy / Negotiate / Caution / Pass verdict.

Deal inputs

Use honest numbers. Soft repair estimates are how flippers lose money on the lot.

Asking / purchase price ($) Expected resale ($)

Realistic 30–45 day retail — not best-case

Estimated repairs / recon ($) Fees, tax, title, auction ($) Transport / tow ($) Target ROI (%)

Common flipper range: 15–25%

Days you expect to hold the car

Reset sample deal

Your numbers

Max Buy is the purchase ceiling that still hits your target ROI after all costs.

Max Buy —

Total cash in —

Projected profit —

ROI on cash —

Profit / day —

Break-even resale —

How flippers use this

From asking price to a clearer buy decision

The expensive mistakes are overpaying and underestimating recon. FlipDrive IQ Calculator puts both into one number before you message the seller.

Formula used here: Max Buy = Expected Resale ÷ (1 + Target ROI) − Repairs − Fees − Transport. Projected profit and ROI use your actual asking price so you can see whether the listed deal clears your bar — and how far you need to negotiate.

Buy — asking price is at or under Max Buy and ROI is strong.
Negotiate — deal can work if you land closer to Max Buy.
Caution — thin margin; one surprise repair wipes the flip.
Pass — even a fair negotiation leaves you below target.

What is a good ROI on a used car flip?

ROI is net profit divided by total cash in the deal (purchase + repairs + fees + transport). A $1,800 profit on $6,200 cash is about 29% — strong. The same $1,800 on a $20,000 car is only 9% and usually not worth the risk or the days on lot. Many flippers treat under 10% as thin, 15–25% as the working zone, and 25%+ as a strong flip when the car actually sells on schedule. Read the full breakdown in profit & ROI explained.

FAQ

Do I need an account to use this calculator?

You can read the formula and this page without an account. Sign in or create an account when you run the calculation.

Does Max Buy include holding costs?

This calculator focuses on cash costs you control at purchase. For days-on-lot drag, watch profit-per-day — a smaller dollar profit that turns in 10 days often beats a bigger one stuck for 60.

Is this the same as FlipDrive IQ’s full analysis?

No. This page is decision math from numbers you type. A full analysis adds market comparables, repair exposure, and Garage tracking. Create Account to run a vehicle.

Can I use this for auction cars?

Yes. Put lane fees and transport into the fee fields, be honest about recon from the condition report, and set Expected Resale to your real retail target — not best-case.

How do I turn Max Buy into a walk-away offer?

Compute Max Buy first, then message the seller with a number at or under it. If they won’t move, pass — capital stays free for the next deal. See the Buy / Negotiate / Caution / Pass framework.

Keep learning

Guides that go with this calculator

Quick reads that teach the formula, the ROI bar, and the four-bucket decision rule.

How to calculate Max Buy Worked example, formula walkthrough, and the mistakes that kill margin. Profit & ROI explained Why a $2,000 flip isn’t automatically a good flip — and what 15–25% really means. Buy / Negotiate / Caution / Pass A four-bucket framework so you decide faster without gambling your float.

Ready for comps instead of guesses?

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FlipDrive IQ is decision-support software, not a vehicle inspection, appraisal, or guarantee of resale value. Always verify with your own inspection and local market.