Cost of selling a house US

Typically about 6.5% of the price on a US$400,000 home: estate agent about US$22,000, closing, escrow and title about US$1,500, certificates and other costs about US$2,500. Agent fees are negotiable.

If you owned and lived in the home for 2 of the last 5 years, up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for a married couple) is tax-free; other gains are taxed at 0%, 15% or 20% federal plus any state tax. When the seller is a non-resident foreigner, the buyer must normally withhold 15% of the price under FIRPTA (less or none for cheaper homes bought by a buyer to live in).

Home buyer in Typical (most states): closing costs come to about US$12,000. All buying costs together come to about US$12,450, or 3.1% of the price. Change the price or buyer type above to see your own figure.

No. Foreign buyers pay the same purchase taxes as local buyers in United States. Some rules on who can buy, or which rate applies, can still depend on where you live.

Most states have no limits. Some limit buyers from certain countries, mostly for farmland or land near military sites. When you sell, up to 15% of the price may be held back for tax (FIRPTA) if you're not US resident.

An ITIN or Social Security number for a mortgage and tax. A US closing attorney or title company.

We last updated the figures on 14 Oct 2026 and checked them against official sources on 23 Oct 2026. We check every country every week, and show a warning if a check is overdue.