SGV Seller Net Sheets: What You'll Actually Take Home
Your net proceeds from an SGV home sale equal your gross sale price minus brokerage compensation, escrow and title fees, the LA County documentary transfer tax, any city transfer tax, prorated property taxes, buyer credits, and your mortgage payoff. Every category is negotiable except the statutory county transfer tax rate.
How much will I actually net selling my home in the San Gabriel Valley?
Your net proceeds equal your gross sale price minus several layers of seller-side costs: brokerage compensation, escrow and title fees, the Los Angeles County documentary transfer tax, any applicable city transfer tax, prorated property taxes, credits you've agreed to give the buyer, and your outstanding mortgage payoff. The exact dollar amount depends on your specific price, your loan balance, and what you negotiate in the contract, but understanding each category before you list puts you in a much stronger position at the closing table.
Every seller I work with in Pasadena and the broader San Gabriel Valley asks some version of this question before we go to market. The honest answer is that the gap between your sale price and your take-home check is wider than most people expect, and the only way to close that gap intelligently is to map every line item before you sign a listing agreement.
Here's how I walk my clients through it.
The SGV Market Context Behind the Numbers
Before you can build a net sheet, you need a realistic sale price. Recent local market data shows a median sale price in Pasadena of $1,220,000, with homes spending a median of 31 days on market and 312 homes sold in the trailing 90 days. That's a useful anchor, but your individual home's value depends on condition, street, build year, and timing, a figure I'll establish for you with a full comparative market analysis before we talk costs.
For context on what the broader SGV market has been doing, the San Gabriel Valley real estate market overview on my site walks through current supply, demand, and pricing trends across the valley. And if you're still deciding how to sell, choosing the right selling option in SoCal covers the tradeoffs between listing on-market, iBuyer offers, and other paths, each of which produces a different net.
The market data matters because your net sheet starts with a defensible price. Overprice the home and you sit; underprice it and you leave money on the table. Both outcomes hurt your net more than any closing cost line item.
The Cost Categories on Every SGV Seller's Net Sheet
A California net sheet is a closing statement in draft form. Your closing agent, the escrow company handling your transaction, will prepare the official version once you're in contract. What I do before we list is walk through the same categories so there are no surprises.
Brokerage Compensation
This is typically the largest single line on a seller's net sheet. Broker fees and commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law, there is no standard, typical, or customary rate. The listing-side fee is agreed in your listing agreement. Any compensation you choose to offer a buyer's agent is optional and separately negotiable; it is not automatically bundled into a single "total commission" and is not advertised on the MLS. If you want to know what this would cost in your specific situation, that's a conversation we have directly, not something I can reduce to a number on a blog.
Escrow Fees
When the purchase contract is signed, escrow is opened with a local escrow company. The escrow holder manages instructions from the buyer, seller, agents, and lender; collects and disburses all funds; and coordinates the payoff of your existing loans. Escrow fees are charged by the escrow company for this service. In SGV and LA County, it is common for escrow fees to be split between buyer and seller, but that split is negotiable in the purchase agreement.
Title Insurance (Owner's Policy)
The seller customarily pays for the owner's title insurance policy in Los Angeles County. This policy protects the buyer against title defects discovered after closing. The lender's title policy, which protects the buyer's lender, is typically a buyer cost. Both are separate line items. Like escrow, the allocation is negotiable in your contract.
Los Angeles County Documentary Transfer Tax
This is the one cost on your net sheet that is set by statute. According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, the documentary transfer tax is imposed at a rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of the consideration or value conveyed (equivalent to $0.55 for each $500, or fractional part thereof). This rate applies to all SGV property sales because the entire San Gabriel Valley sits within Los Angeles County.
By local custom, the seller pays this tax, but the purchase contract can allocate it differently. It is one line item subtracted from your gross proceeds on the closing statement.
City Transfer Tax: SGV Is Not the City of Los Angeles
This is where SGV sellers often get confused, so I want to be precise. Most SGV cities, Pasadena, Alhambra, Arcadia, Temple City, West Covina, and others, are separate municipalities from the City of Los Angeles. The City of LA's additional transfer tax and Measure ULA (which imposes a 4% tax on transactions above $5,400,000 and 5.5% on transactions above $10,900,000, for closings after June 30, 2026) do not automatically apply to your SGV property.
If your property happens to sit within City of Los Angeles boundaries, some parcels near Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, or Northeast LA edges straddle jurisdictions, then city-level taxes apply in addition to the county rate. Confirming your property's exact city jurisdiction is a critical first step before finalizing any net-sheet estimate. I verify this for every listing before we price it.
The table below summarizes the transfer tax structure for the two most common SGV scenarios:
| Jurisdiction | County Transfer Tax Rate | City Transfer Tax | Measure ULA Applies? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena, Alhambra, Arcadia, Temple City, West Covina (and most other SGV cities) | $1.10 per $1,000 (statutory) | Varies by city; confirm with your closing agent | No |
| Property within City of Los Angeles limits (e.g., some Northeast LA parcels) | $1.10 per $1,000 (statutory) | City of LA base rate applies; Measure ULA at 4% above $5.4M, 5.5% above $10.9M | Yes, if sale price exceeds $5,400,000 |
Source: LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and City of Los Angeles Office of Finance.
Prorated Property Taxes
California property taxes are paid in two installments. Depending on where your closing falls in the tax calendar, you'll owe a prorated share of the current tax period through the close date. This is calculated by your closing agent and appears as a debit on your closing statement. If you've already paid taxes covering a period beyond your close date, you'll receive a credit instead.
Credits to the Buyer
Inspection results, repair requests, and buyer closing-cost credits are all negotiated in the purchase contract. Any credit you agree to give the buyer comes directly off your net. This is one of the most variable line items, and one of the most negotiable. I cover how to evaluate those tradeoffs in how to choose the right offer when selling your SGV home.
Mortgage Payoff
Your outstanding loan balance, plus any prepayment penalties, per-diem interest through the payoff date, and lender-required fees, is paid out of escrow before you see a dollar. Escrow orders a formal payoff statement from your lender once you're in contract. If you have a second mortgage, HELOC, or any other lien, those are paid off in the same step. The difference between your gross sale price and all the above costs (including payoff) is your net proceeds.
If you're also buying your next home, the equity from this sale is what funds your down payment. I work with move-up buyers on strategies to coordinate the timing of both transactions, so you're not forced to sell low or buy slow because the closings didn't line up.
How to Build Your Own Net Sheet (Before You List)
Here's the process I use with every SGV seller before we set a list price:
- Establish a realistic sale price range with a comparative market analysis. This is your gross proceeds figure.
- Confirm your city jurisdiction to determine whether county-only or county-plus-city transfer taxes apply.
- Get a payoff statement from your lender (or a current balance estimate if you're pre-listing). This is usually the biggest single subtraction from your gross.
- Request escrow and title quotes from a local escrow company. These are actual bids, not estimates, and they vary by company and transaction complexity.
- Identify any liens or encumbrances: HOA assessments, solar lease payoffs, judgment liens. Escrow will catch these in the title search, but knowing early avoids surprises.
- Estimate property tax proration based on your expected close date and current tax bill.
- Factor in likely buyer credits based on the home's condition and what comparable sales have required.
- Subtract brokerage compensation as agreed in your listing agreement.
What's left is your estimated net. Your closing agent will produce the official version once you're in contract, and it will be updated as the transaction progresses. The goal of doing this work before you list is so you're making pricing and timing decisions with accurate information, not discovering your net on the day of signing.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the median tenure in a home before selling has shifted significantly over the past decade, meaning many sellers are working with substantial equity, but that equity is only realized after every cost category is accounted for. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also provides guidance on mortgage payoff processes that's worth reviewing if you're unsure how your lender calculates the final payoff figure.
For a deeper look at cost categories specific to California sellers, the post on the real cost of selling a home in California walks through each line item in plain language. And if you want to understand the full timeline from accepted offer to closing, week by week: what selling your Southern California home actually looks like maps every step.
Frequently Asked Questions
What costs come out of my sale price when I sell a home in the San Gabriel Valley?
The main seller-side costs in SGV are brokerage compensation, escrow fees, owner's title insurance, the LA County documentary transfer tax (and any applicable city transfer tax), prorated property taxes through the close date, credits you've agreed to give the buyer, and your mortgage payoff. Most of these are negotiable in the purchase contract; the county documentary transfer tax rate is set by statute. Your closing agent will prepare an itemized closing statement once you're in contract.
Who pays the documentary transfer tax in SGV, the seller or the buyer?
By local custom in Los Angeles County, the seller typically pays the documentary transfer tax, but this allocation is negotiable in the purchase agreement, it's not mandated by statute. The rate itself is fixed by law at $1.10 per $1,000 of the consideration or value conveyed, as established by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Confirm the allocation in your specific contract rather than assuming it follows custom.
How do I estimate my net proceeds if I still have a mortgage on my SGV house?
Start with your expected gross sale price, then subtract all seller-side closing costs and your outstanding mortgage payoff. Your lender will provide a formal payoff statement once you're in contract, it includes your principal balance, any per-diem interest through the payoff date, and lender fees. If you have a second mortgage or HELOC, those are also paid from escrow before you receive any proceeds. The best way to get an accurate picture before you list is to request an estimated payoff from your lender and bring that number to a pre-listing net-sheet conversation with your agent.
What's the difference between my gross sale price and my take-home check?
Your gross sale price is the number on the purchase contract. Your take-home check, net proceeds, is what's left after escrow pays off your mortgage, deducts all seller-side closing costs, applies prorated property taxes, and processes any credits you've given the buyer. On a Pasadena home at the current median, that gap can be substantial, especially if you carry a significant loan balance. The only way to know your specific net before you list is to build a detailed net sheet with your agent and closing agent using your actual payoff and cost quotes.
The bottom line: your net proceeds are knowable before you list, but only if you do the work to map every line item with real inputs. A sale price estimate without a net sheet is an incomplete picture. Every seller I work with in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley gets a detailed pre-listing net-sheet walkthrough so we're making strategy decisions with accurate numbers, not assumptions.
Ready to see what your home is worth and what you'd actually walk away with? Schedule a consultation and I'll build your personalized net sheet, no obligation, no surprises.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Eddy Chen is a Broker Associate with REAL Brokerage, CA DRE license on file. This article is general information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your specific costs and net proceeds with your closing agent, tax advisor, or lender. Broker fees and commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law.
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