Free tool
How much will I keep when I sell?
Subtracts what you owe and the costs of selling from the sale price to estimate what you'd keep.
Free, no sign-up. What you type stays on your phone.
- Connected to 3,222 counties and 33,486 ZIP codes
- Rules verified as of October 17, 2026.
- Public data from the Census Bureau
Move the numbers and the result changes right away. We start with the typical numbers for the United States; change any of them to yours.
Calculating with the numbers for:
Your sale
Typical home value in the United States. Enter the price you expect or the offer you have.
Adjust advanced details
Let's do the math
You would keep
$332,700
After paying off your loan and $0 in selling costs (0% of the price).
- Sale price
- $332,700
- You would keep
- $332,700
Transfer taxes
Choose your state to see its taxes with the official source.
The commission is negotiable
According to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), your agent's commission is negotiable and not set by law, and as the seller you decide whether to offer pay to the buyer's agent. Those changes took effect on August 17, 2024.
If you are not a U.S. resident for tax purposes (FIRPTA)
According to the IRS, when the seller is a foreign person, the buyer (and sometimes the settlement agent) must withhold 15% of the price and send it to the IRS. There are exceptions; for example, when the buyer will live in the home and the price is not more than $300,000.
This is not tax advice. For free help: VITA prepares returns for people who qualify, and Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC) help with disputes with the IRS, for free or for a small fee.
This is an educational estimate, not an offer or legal or tax advice. It does not figure taxes on the gain from the sale. Your title or closing company gives you the real figures.
Show contents
How is it calculated?
The same formulas lenders use, with the rules each program publishes. Nothing is hidden.
The formula
What you keep = price − loan payoff − commissions − the seller's transfer taxes − title and escrow − repairs − concessions. If you are a foreign person, 15% is withheld (FIRPTA).
Example with the numbers for the United States
- Home price
- $332,700
- Commissions
- Negotiable: not set by any law
- FIRPTA withholding (if you are a foreign person)
- 15% = $49,905
Computed from the page's data when it was built; in the tool you replace every number with your own.
What moves the result?
Six things that change the number more than anything else.
-
The sale price
It is the starting point: commissions, taxes and what you owe on the home come out of it.
-
Commissions
They are negotiable and not set by any law. Ask before you sign.
-
Your state's law
Deadlines, caps and taxes change from state to state. Every rule carries its citation.
-
Closing costs
Charges, prepaids and escrow. The example uses 3% of the price until your estimate arrives.
-
What you owe on the home
The mortgage balance and any other loan on the home are paid off at the sale, before you get your share.
-
Fees and charges
Applications, services, HOA. Always ask for the breakdown in writing.
The official numbers behind the tool
Official data the tool uses, so you can compare.
Homes and incomes in the most populous counties of the United States
| Place | Typical value | Typical household income | Value ÷ income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County (CA) | $834,200 | $90,112 | 9.3× |
| Cook County (IL) | $324,500 | $83,498 | 3.9× |
| Harris County (TX) | $276,600 | $74,983 | 3.7× |
| Maricopa County (AZ) | $452,800 | $89,300 | 5.1× |
| San Diego County (CA) | $854,700 | $106,268 | 8.0× |
| Orange County (CA) | $962,600 | $116,289 | 8.3× |
| Miami-Dade County (FL) | $463,000 | $71,753 | 6.5× |
| Kings County (NY) | $905,000 | $80,263 | 11.3× |
- Los Angeles County (CA) $834,200$90,112
- Cook County (IL) $324,500$83,498
- Harris County (TX) $276,600$74,983
- Maricopa County (AZ) $452,800$89,300
- San Diego County (CA) $854,700$106,268
- Orange County (CA) $962,600$116,289
- Miami-Dade County (FL) $463,000$71,753
- Kings County (NY) $905,000$80,263
Source: American Community Survey (Average 2020–2024)
Price change in the most populous counties of the United States
| Place | 5 years | 10 years | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County (CA) | +43.3% | +86.9% | +1.7% |
| Cook County (IL) | +41.6% | +61.3% | +5.5% |
| Harris County (TX) | +30.7% | +53.8% | +0.6% |
| Maricopa County (AZ) | +56.1% | +125.3% | +0.7% |
| San Diego County (CA) | +53.6% | +99.1% | +0.7% |
| Orange County (CA) | +53.5% | +89.0% | +3.3% |
| Miami-Dade County (FL) | +79.5% | +147.7% | +2.8% |
| Kings County (NY) | +20.1% | +56.9% | +4.6% |
- Los Angeles County (CA) +43.3%+86.9%
- Cook County (IL) +41.6%+61.3%
- Harris County (TX) +30.7%+53.8%
- Maricopa County (AZ) +56.1%+125.3%
- San Diego County (CA) +53.6%+99.1%
- Orange County (CA) +53.5%+89.0%
- Miami-Dade County (FL) +79.5%+147.7%
- Kings County (NY) +20.1%+56.9%
Source: FHFA House Price Index (2025 data)
— means the source publishes no value.
Want your county's numbers?
Type your county or ZIP code: the tool loads its numbers and keeps them in your browser for the other tools.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an agent charge?
There is no set figure. According to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), the commission is negotiable and not set by law, and since August 17, 2024 the way buyer's agents are offered pay has changed. Ask several agents what they charge and what services they provide.
Do I owe taxes on the sale?
What if I owe more than the home is worth?
Then the result comes out negative: you would have to bring money to closing. Talk with your lender before listing the home, and with a HUD-approved housing counselor, who often helps for free.
Do you keep my numbers?
No. Everything stays in your browser and you can clear it with the start-over button. We never ask for names or personal data.
Methodology and sources (the Census Bureau)
- The price: we start with the place's typical home value (Census, ACS 2024). Enter the price you expect or the offer you have.
- Commissions: you enter them, as a share of the price or in dollars. We set no rate because the commission is negotiable and not set by law.
- Transfer taxes: if you pick your state and we have its rules, we figure them on the price at the rate the official source publishes and tell you whom the law puts them on. We count the seller's, those the law puts on every party and those the source leaves unclear; you can change that.
- What you keep: the price less your loan payoff, commissions, transfer taxes, title and closing charges, repairs, what you give the buyer and anything else.
Data
- American Community Survey (Average 2020–2024)
Program rules
- National Association of REALTORS: NAR Settlement FAQs (consumer quickstart) · In effect since August 17, 2024
- IRS: FIRPTA withholding · In effect since February 17, 2016
- IRS: Exceptions from FIRPTA withholding · Verified on October 17, 2026
What comes next?
Go on to the tool that answers your next question, or read a guide at your own pace.
Want someone to go over it with you? A HUD-approved counselor does it for free or at low cost. Find a counselor
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- Inheriting a home in Puerto Rico from the states If you live in the states and inherit a Puerto Rico home: which law applies, papers signed elsewhere, Hacienda's release, CRIM and taxes if you sell.
- Adding a family member to your deed: gift tax and risks If you put a family member on your home's deed: the gift tax and Form 709, the tax basis, your mortgage, Medicaid and other risks to weigh first.