Caring TransitionsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Caring Transitions franchise requires a total initial investment of $71K – $117K, including a $54K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $284K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 20.0% charge-off rate across 10 loans[1]. Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $71K – $117K
- 47th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- $284K
- 11th pct Real Estate
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Real Estate
- Units
- 372
- 63rd pct Real Estate
- SBA default
- 20.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Real Estate · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Real Estate avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 3.0x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
20.0% of SBA loans charged off across 10 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 372 to 272 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $71K – $117K including a $54K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $284K/year (median $203K).
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 55/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 20.0% across 10 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 36.8% CAGR over 3 years with 372 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- C.T. FRANCHISING SYSTEMS, INC
- Incorporated in
- OH
- HQ
- 4755 Lake Forest Drive, Suite 100, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
- Auditor
- Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $8.3M
- vs $9.7M prior year
Overview
About
Caring Transitions provides senior move management and estate liquidation services, helping elderly clients downsize, relocate, and liquidate household assets. Franchisees manage the logistics of packing, organizing estate sales, and coordinating moves for aging populations, generating revenue from service fees and commission on asset sales.
- CEO
- Ray Fabik
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 2006
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 45
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $54K | $54K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $4K | $38K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $13K | $25K |
| Total initial investment | $71K | $117K |
Source: Caring Transitions 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$43K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
37%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
32 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $71K – $117K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $4K – $38K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $54K – $54K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Receipts · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $284K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $203K
- Item 19 type
- Gross Receipts and Profit Percentage
- Sample size
- 253 units
- vs category median 41 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $5K→$2.5M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 0 / 5 · above
Compared against 121 Real Estate brands
vs Real Estate averages
How Caring Transitions Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 372
- Opened
- 70
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 8
- Turnover rate
- 2.2%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +18.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +36.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 15
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 13 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 10
- Loan volume
- $1.9M
- Median loan
- $123K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 20.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 66.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 8
- Defaults
- 2
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Caring Transitions's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 8 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 9 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 9-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
A 20.0% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 5 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Significant governance and transparency red flags (regulatory litigation, missing financial disclosures) combined with unvalidated unit economics create elevated risk despite apparent growth momentum.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 55 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHRegulatory litigation from Virginia and California involving undisclosed officer bankruptcies and auditor registration failures, suggesting governance and transparency issues at corporate level
- 02MINORNo average net income disclosure (Item 19) despite $284,485 average revenue — unable to validate profitability or actual franchisee earnings
- 03MINORHigh franchise fee ($53,900) combined with 6% royalty on gross receipts with no net income data creates earnings opacity and risk of negative ROI
- 04HIGHFive disclosed litigations including regulatory actions indicate potential compliance culture problems and ongoing legal exposure for franchisees
- 05MINORStrong unit growth (18.5% YoY to 372 units) may reflect recruitment-heavy expansion rather than unit profitability or system health
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 15 years |
| Territory type | Postal Codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Ohio |
| Litigation count | 5 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 35 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- POS system
- CTBids and QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: CTBids and QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
80 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Caring Transitions · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Caring Transitions franchise?
The total investment to open a Caring Transitions franchise ranges from $71K – $117K, with an initial franchise fee of $54K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Caring Transitions franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Caring Transitions FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $284K. The median is $203K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Caring Transitions's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Caring Transitions has a charge-off rate of 20.0% across 10 loans, meaning 20.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Caring Transitions franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Caring Transitions has 372 total units in the United States, including 372 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 70 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Caring Transitions a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Caring Transitions as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 55 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.