The Net Sheet Reality: What Actually Lands in Your Pocket

Concert tickets often look affordable at first glance. By checkout, service fees, facility fees, and processing fees can push an $80 ticket to $118.

The price shown at the start is not always the amount that ends up being paid.

Home sales work the same way.

Your sale price is not your take-home number. Between the sale price and your bank account are your loan payoff, agent compensation, escrow and title fees, and taxes. Sellers who only focus on the sale price are often surprised at closing.

Here is how to know your real number before you list:

Know Every Line. In San Diego County, sellers typically pay a county transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price, along with escrow fees, the owner's title policy, and agent compensation. Each line is small on its own. Together, they add up.

Plan for Credits. Buyers often ask for credits after inspections. Building a cushion into your expectations keeps a reasonable request from feeling like a loss.

Get Three Scenarios. Ask for a net sheet at a high price, a likely price, and a low price. Knowing your range makes every negotiation calmer.

The market is fair, but it is not forgiving. The sellers who know their net before they list make better decisions at every step.

Next week, I am going to share the "Commission Conversation" and what changed about how agents get paid.