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Larius
Founder & editor, The Handy Calculators. North Carolina & Florida.
Background
I'm a software engineer by training, a licensed North Carolina real estate broker and investor (license No. 248735), and a Deputy Appraiser for a Florida county assessor's office in the Commercial Real Estate Department. Over the years I've also run a small retail operation and traveled enough to develop strong opinions about currency conversion and tipping math. Those hats — engineer, broker, county appraiser, retailer — are the reason this site exists. Every calculator on it has already had to answer a real question I ran into in my own work or my own life.
In my county role I spend most of my time negotiating settlement agreements with attorneys who represent property owners, and defending property values at Value Adjustment Board (VAB) hearings when we do not reach an agreement. That work is why the real-estate and proforma calculators here use the same line-item structure I rely on in actual assessment files.
Why I built The Handy Calculators
Most online calculators I needed for actual deals — cap rate, cash-on-cash, 1031 exchange timelines, closing costs, refinance break-even, multifamily proformas — were either buried under ads, hidden behind email signups, or simplified to the point of being wrong. The personal-finance and health tools weren't much better. So I started writing my own, one at a time, in the same plain-English format I would have wanted as a reader: a fast tool at the top, an explanation of the formula, a worked example, common mistakes, and an honest FAQ.
The site now hosts more than 100 free calculators across money, real estate, health, time, education, conversions, and home improvement. None of them require a signup. None of them sell your data. All of the math runs in your browser.
How I work on a calculator
I follow the same four-step process for every page, documented in the editorial policy: pick a textbook or regulatory formula, cross-check the output against at least one authoritative source and one well-known reference calculator, document the simplifying assumptions on the page itself, and then write a plain-English explanation with a worked example.
For financial calculators I lean on IRS publications, CFPB consumer guidance, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac underwriting documentation, and my own appraisal and brokerage experience. For health calculators I use published peer-reviewed equations (Mifflin-St Jeor for BMR, Karvonen for heart rate, etc.) and cite them on the page. For real estate proformas I use the same line-item structure I use in actual appraisal reports.
What I won't do
- I won't publish a calculator I haven't personally tested against a known-good reference.
- I won't accept payment for favorable mentions, sponsored placement, or biased formulas. Ads on the site are display-only (Google AdSense) and don't influence the math.
- I won't pretend a calculator is a substitute for an accountant, lender, doctor, lawyer, or contractor. The tools are educational estimates and the pages say so.
Licensing disclaimer
I hold an active real estate broker license in the State of North Carolina only. I am not licensed as a real estate broker, agent, or salesperson in any other state, including Florida, where I currently reside. Nothing on The Handy Calculators — including any real estate, mortgage, refinance, closing-cost, 1031 exchange, cap-rate, cash-on-cash, or proforma calculator — constitutes real estate brokerage, legal, tax, appraisal, or financial advice, or an offer to represent you in a transaction. Real estate laws, license requirements, tax rules, and customary closing costs vary by state and locality. Before acting on any result you see on this site, consult a professional (broker, attorney, CPA, appraiser, or lender) who is licensed and qualified in the jurisdiction where your property is located.
Get in touch
If a calculator on this site looks wrong, or you want to suggest a new one, please email me at Larius@thehandycalculators.com or use the contact form. I read every message and aim to acknowledge correction reports within two business days.