How much money do you walk away with after selling a house?

Typically 85% to 92% of the sale price after selling costs, minus whatever remains on your mortgage. Equity, commission rate, and state transfer taxes drive most of the variation.

Do I get the money at closing?

Funds are usually disbursed the same day or within one to three business days after closing, by wire or check from the settlement agent.

What if I owe more than the sale price?

That is a short sale situation. It requires lender approval, or the seller brings the shortfall to closing in cash.

How accurate is a net proceeds estimate?

A well-prepared estimate usually lands within one to two percent of final proceeds. Payoff interest, prorated taxes, and late-negotiated credits cause most of the drift.

Guide

How Much Do You Actually Get After Selling Your House?

By ActiveEngine · 6 min read · Last updated February 16, 2026

The net proceeds formula

Net proceeds are what remains after every cost of selling is subtracted from the sale price:

Sale price − mortgage payoff − commissions − transfer and recording taxes − title and escrow fees − prorations − concessions and credits − miscellaneous fees = net proceeds.

Across typical sales, sellers keep roughly 85% to 92% of the sale price before the mortgage payoff comes out. After payoff, the answer depends entirely on equity.

What gets subtracted

The mortgage payoff is the loan balance plus interest accrued through the closing date, plus any prepayment penalty or reconveyance fee — nearly always higher than the balance on your last statement. Commissions follow, then state and local transfer taxes, the owner's title policy where the seller pays it, escrow or attorney fees, and prorated property taxes and HOA dues covering the days after closing that you have not yet paid.

Last come negotiated items: closing-cost credits, repair credits, and a home warranty for the buyer.

See your exact numbers

Try the free Field Net calculator — no signup, PDF download included.

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Example walkthrough

A $500,000 sale with a $280,000 payoff and 5% total commission: commission is $25,000. Title and escrow run about $3,200, transfer tax at 0.70% is $3,500, prorated taxes and HOA add $1,800, and a $2,500 repair credit comes off after inspection.

Total costs excluding payoff: $36,000. Net proceeds: $500,000 − $280,000 − $36,000 = $184,000. Change nothing but the state, and that figure can swing by $8,000 or more on transfer tax alone.

Common surprises sellers miss

Payoff interest through the funding date, not the contract date. Prorated taxes in arrears states, which can reach thousands. HOA transfer and status-letter fees of $200 to $500. Attorney fees in New York, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Illinois. Post-inspection credits negotiated after the first net sheet was prepared.

Build a buffer line for these when you estimate before listing.

Calculate your own

Enter your sale price, payoff, commission rates, and state in the free calculator. State transfer tax and title costs populate automatically, every field stays editable, and you can download the result as a PDF.