Free calculator
Seller Net Proceeds Calculator
Selling in Orange County? Estimate what you will take home after the loan payoff, commissions, the county transfer tax, title and escrow fees, and the property tax proration.
Estimated net proceeds
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Enter a sale price to see the estimate.
- Loan payoff
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- Commissions
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- Credits to the buyer
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- Escrow and owner's title policy
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- Documentary transfer tax ($1.10 per $1,000)
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- HOA fees and other costs
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- Property tax proration
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- Selling costs, before the payoff
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Estimates only, for planning. Escrow's estimated settlement statement shows your actual figures; confirm them with your escrow officer, your lender and a tax professional. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
How the calculator works
Net proceeds are the sale price minus the loan payoff and everything you pay to sell: commissions, credits to the buyer, your share of escrow, the owner's title policy, the transfer tax, HOA fees and other costs, adjusted for the property tax proration. The estimate leaves out income tax, and money escrow may withhold for the state.
Commissions
Commissions are negotiable and set by your agreements, not by law. Enter the listing broker's percentage from your listing agreement and, only if you agree to it, the compensation you will pay the buyer's broker. Since August 2024, offers of buyer broker compensation are no longer made through the MLS; see do sellers still pay the buyer's agent for how that works now.
Transfer tax, title and escrow
Orange County charges a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 for each $500 of the price or fraction of $500, which is $1.10 per $1,000, and by local custom the seller pays it. Cities in Orange County that collect a transfer tax share that $1.10 rather than adding to it. By custom the seller also buys the buyer's owner's title policy, and escrow fees are split. Title insurers file their rates with the California Department of Insurance, and escrow fees vary by company, so ask for quotes and enter them here. Our guide to Orange County closing costs explains each item.
Property tax proration
California's property tax year runs July 1 to June 30. The first installment, covering July through December, is due November 1 and late after December 10; the second, covering January through June, is due February 1 and late after April 10. You owe the tax from July 1 through closing. If you have paid more than that, the buyer credits you the difference; if less, it comes out of your proceeds. The calculator prorates by day, and escrow's method and exact figure may differ slightly.
What the estimate leaves out
- State withholding. Escrow generally withholds 3 1/3% of the sales price for the Franchise Tax Board unless you certify an exemption on Form 593, such as the sale of your principal residence. It counts toward your tax, but it reduces the cash you receive at closing.
- Income tax. Up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return, is generally excluded on the sale of a main home you owned and lived in for two of the last five years. See our guide to capital gains on a California home sale.
- Other payoffs. Solar loans, PACE assessments and liens are paid at closing too; see selling a home with solar panels. Your lender's payoff figure includes interest through the payoff date.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Sources: Orange County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax; Revenue and Taxation Code section 11911; California Department of Insurance, title insurance; Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector, important tax dates; Franchise Tax Board, Form 593 instructions; IRS Topic 701, sale of your home.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to sell a house in Orange County?
It depends mostly on the commissions you negotiate, which no law sets. On top of those, an Orange County seller customarily pays the buyer's owner's title policy, the county documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of the price, a share of the escrow fee, HOA document fees and any credits agreed with the buyer, and the existing loan is paid off from the proceeds. The purchase agreement decides who pays each item.
Who pays the transfer tax when selling a house in Orange County?
By local custom the seller does, but the purchase agreement decides. Orange County charges $0.55 for each $500 of the price or fraction of $500, which is $1.10 per $1,000, minus any existing loan the buyer takes over. Orange County cities that collect a transfer tax share the county's $1.10 rather than adding a separate tax.
What is a seller net sheet?
An estimate of what you will walk away with after the loan payoff, commissions and closing costs. Your agent can prepare one before you list or accept an offer, and escrow prepares an estimated settlement statement once you are in escrow. The settlement statement is the figure to rely on.
Is California tax withheld from my sale proceeds?
Escrow generally withholds 3 1/3% of the sales price for the Franchise Tax Board unless an exemption applies, such as a sale of your principal residence under the federal two-out-of-five-year rule or a price of $100,000 or less. You certify exemptions on Form 593. Withholding is a prepayment, not the final tax.
Do I owe capital gains tax when I sell my home?
Maybe not. If you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least two of the five years before the sale, you can generally exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 on a joint return. Gain above that, or on a property that does not qualify, is taxable. This calculator does not estimate income tax; ask a tax professional.