When closing a deal to sell a home, it is important to know what closing costs to pay.

Once you’ve accepted your buyer’s offer and negotiations are finally winding down then you’re left with the remaining concern of closing the sale. If you’re reading this now and you are contemplating on selling your property or in the middle of the process, please continue reading because the topic is relevant to you.

Getting a clear idea of these things ahead of time is always a wise choice because this will give you ample room for any adjustment or challenges during the final walkthrough. If you have a crystal clear understanding of the associated costs of selling a house, you can prevent complications from arising when the time has come to close the sale.

Closing costs vary according to where you live

In New York State,  where the town of Colonie in Albany is located, you should have a budget  of approximately 8 to 10% of your home’s sales price. Traditionally, it’s supposed to be 6%, as with other states, and you can still possibly negotiate total price to go down to 5%, when it’s a seller’s market. Don’t worry about paying any cash because this will be deducted from your profit.

This is a general guide on what you can expect as part of your expenses when selling your house. The actual amount will vary.

• REALTORⓇ’S commission - You as the seller will inevitably have to bear a greater part of the closing costs while buyers have more line-item expenses. This is your real estate agent’s commission which often takes  the largest portion of  your payables.

This is where I highly suggest for you to get in touch with me, Dawn McCurdy, right away. Please call me at 518-785-9900 and I can help you facilitate the process and answer questions about costs. In general, commission is usually divided between you and your buyer’s agent.

A lot of people may say, go sell it yourself, but if you take this approach then you need to assume what’s supposed to be our responsibilities like hiring a contract lawyer, the transfer of title and all the negotiations. That’s my job, to make your life stress-free while you  go through this phase in your life.

• Consider home repairs and improvements - There will always be several repairs that can help you sell your house faster and help you raise its value. Give time to improve your curb appeal, or do something about your staircase that has been begging to be repaired.

• Inspection repairs - Major home repairs may result into a financial setback. I suggest you include this in your checklist even before you sell your property.  

• Staging - A study conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2015 showed that the median cost for staging was $675.

• Utilities and additional costs - Never underestimate your bills. While all the negotiations are going on, you will still continue to pay for your heat and electricity until the keys are handed to your buyer.

You should also be ready to pay for the following:

• HOA (homeowners association) fees

• Property taxes

• Transfer taxes or recording fees

• Attorney fees

• Title insurance

• Escrow fee

• Brokerage fee

• Courier fee

• Loan payoff costs

Are any of these fees negotiable?

The great news is most of them are negotiable, including the unexpected fees and it’s very seldom that you will pay for all of these but it always pays to be prepared.

I can also discuss with you several ways on how you can cut costs like shopping around for the mortgage banker, etc.

If you still have questions, don’t waste time, set up an appointment today!

My utmost satisfaction as a REALTORⓇ in Colonie, NY is to see sellers like you find the right buyer for their home.

What you’ve read today may be overwhelming but I assure you that we can always work things  out in order to meet your goals as a seller. Get the value of your property and sell as fast as we can.

Are you ready to see exceptional results? I’m Dawn McCurdy and I’m ready!