A seller in La Mesa told me last month she expected to net about $720,000 on her home off Date Avenue. The sale price was $750,000. After everything, she walked away with closer to $690,000. That gap surprised her, and it surprises most people.
Let me break down where the money goes.
Seller side first. In San Diego County, you're looking at roughly 5 to 6 percent in agent commissions (split between both sides), which on a $750,000 sale is around $37,500 to $45,000. Then there's title insurance, escrow fees, transfer taxes, and recording. Those add up to another $3,000 to $5,000 depending on the title company. If you negotiated any buyer credits for repairs or closing help, subtract that too. I've seen sellers in El Cajon agree to $10,000 or more in credits on deals this spring just to keep a buyer from walking.
Buyer side is its own hit. People budget for the down payment and forget the rest. Escrow and title fees, lender charges, appraisal, home inspection, prepaid property taxes, homeowner's insurance. On a $600,000 purchase in Monterey, a buyer should expect roughly $12,000 to $18,000 in closing costs on top of whatever they're putting down. That range depends on lender, loan type, and how property taxes get prorated.
Speaking of property taxes. California's base rate is about 1 percent of assessed value, but supplemental tax bills catch new buyers off guard. When the county reassesses your home at the purchase price (which they will), you could get a supplemental bill months later for thousands of dollars. I always tell my buyers to set aside a cushion for that. It's not optional.
One thing I feel strongly about: every agent should walk their client through a full net sheet before they list or make an offer. Not after. Before. I've seen deals where the seller didn't realize how thin their equity was until they were already in escrow. That's a bad spot to be in, and it's avoidable.
The sale price is the headline number. What hits your bank account is a different story. If you're thinking about buying or selling in La Mesa, El Cajon, or Monterey, ask me for a net sheet. It takes ten minutes and it'll change how you look at every number after that.