Problem 1
Different math, different answers
Some sites divide weeks free by 4 per month; others spread it differently. The same special can look $30 apart depending on the method.
Method · published formulas
How we do the math
Prices pulled Oct 25, 2026 at 6:14 AM CT Travis · Williamson · Hays · Bastrop · Caldwell
The formulas behind every number on the board, so you can check our work on any building.
- Free to you, and your rent is the same either way
- 144 new communities tracked (as of Oct 25, 2026)
- Prices pulled every morning
- Licensed Texas brokerage Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, TREC #562021
- Free to renters Communities pay the brokerage. Your rent is the same either way.
- Prices pulled every morning Every card shows the date and time it was pulled
- Score can't be bought Commission rates never affect score, sort, placement, or picks
Formulas
Seven formulas, used on every building
Computed in the feed. Every result shows its pull date and the illustration label until the live feed renders it.
Worked example
10 weeks free on a $1,500 apartment sounds like a lot. Spread across 12 months, it's about $1,212 a month. Add $120 in fees and you're at $1,332, and year two starts at $1,620 if the base holds. We'll show you that on every building before you tour.
- Free rent: $1,500 × 12 ÷ 52 × 10 = $3,462
- Net effective: ($1,500 × 12 − $3,462) ÷ 12 = $1,212
- With fees: $1,212 + $120 = $1,332
- Year two at 0%: $1,500 + $120 = $1,620 (+22%)
Concession payback warning
Some concession addenda require you to repay free rent if you leave early. Upfront specials carry the most exposure early in the lease, because you've already received the full value. Prorated credits carry less early on. We flag any payback clause on the card and read it with you before you sign.
Illustration, values as of Oct 25, 2026; live page uses the feed.
Austin New Build Score
Six parts, 100 points, no pay-to-play
The score never scores location, schools, reviews, or people, and no one can pay for it. Commission rates never affect the score, sort, placement, recommendations, or alerts.
| Part | Points | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Deal depth | 30 | Net effective vs. base rent for the lease length |
| Price vs. nearby new builds | 20 | True monthly against comparable new buildings nearby |
| Year-two risk | 15 | Size of the renewal jump at 0% and +3% |
| Lease-up stage | 15 | Where the building sits on its fill curve |
| Fee disclosure | 10 | Whether the written fee addendum matches the listing |
| Build complete | 10 | Amenities and phases finished vs. still under construction |
How to read our numbers
One line per field on a board card
- Base rent
- The asking rent before any special, for the unit and lease length shown.
- Special
- The concession in plain words, with its end date and minimum lease term.
- Net effective
- Base rent minus free rent, averaged across the lease. Always labeled "effective."
- True monthly
- Net effective plus required fees, electric estimate, water, and parking.
- Year two
- What renewal costs if the base holds (0%) or rises 3%, plus fees.
- Electric
- The provider for that address and whether you have plan choice.
- Stage and fill
- Pre-leasing, lease-up, or first 24 months, with an estimated percent leased.
- Austin New Build Score
- 0-100 from six weighted parts. It never scores location, schools, reviews, or people.
- Pulled at
- The date and time the price was pulled from the feed. Stale prices hide.
- Confirmed
- The date we confirmed the special with the community. Unconfirmed specials don't publish.
The Special Decoder
Turn 'weeks free' into the number you'll pay each month
Same formula we use on every building. Gift cards stay out of net effective, and year two is shown beside every special.
$1,269 Net effective
$1,389 With fees
$1,620 Year two
+17% Renewal jump
- Free rent value
- $2,769
- Discount off base
- 15.4%
- Lease total after special
- $15,231
- Fees per year
- $1,440
8 weeks free on a $1,500 apartment works out to about $1,269 a month across 12 months. Add $120 in fees and you're at $1,389, and year two starts at $1,620 if the base holds.
Estimates only. The community sets rent, fees, and approval. We confirm them in writing before you sign. Gift cards are shown separately and are not part of net effective.
Why it goes wrong
Why a published method matters
Problem 2
Gift cards inflate deals
Counting a gift card as rent makes a special look deeper than the lease allows. We keep them separate.
Problem 3
Year two goes unstated
A method that stops at net effective leaves out the renewal, which prices from base rent.
The 60-second form
Tell us what you need. We make the calls.
You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do, and confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours.
- 1 Same day We call or text during hours with a shortlist plan.
- 2 In writing Unit, special, end date, and fee sheet confirmed before you tour.
- 3 Year two shown Every pick shows year two at 0% and +3%, plus a 24-month total.
Prefer to talk? Call or text 512-000-000, Mon-Fri 8 AM-8 PM · Sat 9 AM-6 PM · Sun 12-5 PM.
Free, same day during hours
Step 1 of 3 Get my shortlist
Thanks, we have your details.
We'll call or text the same day during hours with your shortlist plan.
Straight answers
Method questions
Direct answer first, then the source and date. If your question isn't here, ask us on the form or by text.
Why do you use 12 ÷ 52 to turn weeks into dollars?
Because a month is about 4.33 weeks, not 4. Weekly rent = base × 12 ÷ 52. On a $1,172 base, 10 weeks free is about $2,705, which makes net effective $947 on a 12-month lease (illustration, Oct 25, 2026).
Why don't gift cards count toward net effective?
They don't change what the lease says you owe each month. We show them separately so two specials compare on the same basis.
Where does the electric estimate come from?
From typical usage for the unit size and the provider serving the address. It's labeled an estimate, and we'll help you set up electric before move-in.
How do you correct a mistake?
Community corrections are made within one business day and logged with the date on our corrections log.
Does the score include commissions?
No. Commission rates never affect the score, sort, placement, recommendations, or alerts.
Can you guarantee a price or approval?
No. The community sets both price and approval. We confirm them in writing before you sign.
Guides
The two most-read math guides
Explainer
What Is Net Effective Rent and How Do You Calculate It?
Net effective = (base × months − free rent) ÷ months. $1,172 base with 10 weeks free on 12 months is $947 (as of Oct 25, 2026). The formula, a worked example, and its limits.
Read the guide
Explainer
Year-Two Rent After a Concession: How the Renewal Jump Works
Renewals price from base rent. 10.8 weeks free on 12 months means about +26% at the same base. How to see year two at 0% and +3% before you sign.
Read the guide Related pages
Keep comparing
Board view
New Build Board
Every in-scope community on one map, with base rent, the special, net effective, true monthly, and year two pulled every morning.
Board view
Specials
Specials confirmed within the last 7 days, each decoded to net effective and year two, with base rent shown beside every discount.
Board view
Lease-Ups
Buildings already open and filling, sorted by stage and fill estimate, with what's finished and what the special does to your monthly cost.
Free to you, and your rent is the same either way
You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do.
Send us your move date and all-in budget. We confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours, then show you year two before you tour.
We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.