Can I Sell My House and Keep the Money?

Can I Sell My House and Keep the Money

After selling a house, some expenses need to be settled first. These expenses include loan repayment, realtors, and fees or taxes.

The remaining money can be yours to be used any way you desire. On average, you stand to gain at least 60-70 percent of the house value.

Table of Contents

Expenses That Must Be Paid

Clearing Loan Balance

The first thing you need to consider after selling your house is clearing any loan balance that exists. But if you cleared the loan before, you don’t have to worry about this expense.

However, most people still owe money on the house at the time of the sale, meaning they have to apply the proceeds of the sale to clear the balance. It helps them avoid getting into debt with their lender. It is one of the disadvantages of selling your house before clearing your mortgage.

Paying closing costs; Closing costs are factored in when buying and selling a house. But you can also avoid dealing with the closing costs.

You can agree with the buyer on whom to cover the closing costs. Generally, both sides should cover this cost when the house is sold, but sometimes things happen differently.

There are opportunities for negotiations with the buyer to cover closing costs. If you achieve this, you avoid allocating part of the proceeds to cover closing costs.

In case you fail to convince the buyer to cover closing costs, you will have to allocate around 5% to 6% to pay for the real estate commission.

Pay Realtors

You need a realtor to help complete the necessary paperwork and find potential buyers who meet your asking price. Realtors are important in the sales process unless you are one of them or you have listed your house for sale by the owner and don’t need a realtor. Paying a realtor is not fun but very important.

That is why a realtor’s commission is among the many factors to consider after selling your house. In most cases, you can not avoid this expense.

Pay for Renovations or Repairs

Repairs or renovations are unnecessary, especially if you have maintained the house and carried out repairs when needed for the time you have been there. However, if you have neglected the repairs for the period you have spent in that house, you will use some of the proceeds from the sale for repairs.

The condition of your house will determine how much profit you will cut into. You may decide to do some frugal fixes before you sell the house.

The best part is that repairs do not come as a surprise. You can get a pre-list inspection before putting the house up for sale, or a potential buyer may decide to carry out their appraisal, complete with a walkthrough to uncover all the repairs needed.

The walkthrough will provide a clear picture if the house needs repairs because the home buyers might request the repairs to be done before proceeding with the sale. Another option is for the home buyer to purchase the house as is, and you reduce the price by the approximated repair costs. It reduces the profits from the sale.

Pay Taxes

You need to allocate part of your proceeds from the sale to clear some taxes. These taxes include capital gains tax, property tax, and real estate transfer tax.

Capital Gains Tax

Assets normally attract a capital gains tax if sold at a profit. You must factor this in when you sell your house and make provisions for it.

You may be wondering how I sell my house fast for cash and have second thoughts. If the house you sell is your primary home and not an investment property, you can avoid paying capital gain tax. However, to avoid paying this tax, there are some stipulations of living at the home you sell that you will have to meet.

Property Tax

Property tax is paid by the homeowner for the previous year and not the present year. For example, if you are paying the tax in the year 2022, it covers the property tax for 2021.

It means that property tax is normally the last thing deducted from the home’s sale price. Therefore, it is the responsibility of a seller to pay the property tax of the property they are selling.

Real Estate Transfer Tax

Title fee is another word used to refer to real estate transfer tax. It is a fee levied on the transfer of title name from you, the owner, to the buyer. It is normally a percentage of the total price of the house.

However, this tax is not charged in all the states. It is important to research and determine if the state you are in charges real estate tax and how much it charges. Doing this should be your first step in the home selling process to know exactly how much you will be deducted from the sale proceeds.

Person Hand Doing Property Tax Calculation With House Model

How Income Tax Owed to a House Sale Is Calculated

We understand that when you sell your house fast for cash, it can be a little emotional due to the sentimental value the house has. However, if the house is in a prime location, it can benefit your bottom line.

When the home sale is done, a portion of the proceeds goes to the government through taxes. Some exemptions allow you to omit all the gains from your taxable income.

Adjust Your Basis

The total proceeds from the home sale and the adjusted basis are not taxed. The adjusted basis includes the value of the purchase and all home improvements and renovations done to the house that lasts more than one year.

If you bought a house for $200,000 and the kitchen was unfinished, and you did the finishing worth $20000, your total adjusted basis will be $220,000.

Sales Proceeds

After the sale is finalized, you do not have to include the entire purchase price. You need to account for all your expenses while selling the house.

These expenses might include the realtor’s commission as outlined in the real estate contract and advertising if you sell the home yourself.

Your total taxable income is the difference between your selling price and your adjusted basis. A good example is when you sold your house for $250,000, and the realtor took a commission of $2,500, your taxable income will be $247,500.

Primary Residence Exclusion

There is a possibility you qualify for primary residence exclusion for tax purposes. With this exclusion, you can wipe out almost all your taxable gains.

To be considered for this principle residence exclusion, you must have been the owner of that house for two years in the past five years and used it as a primary residence for the last two years.

The two-year period doesn’t have to overlap. When you qualify for this exclusion, a considerable amount is redacted from your taxable income coming from the sale price.

Your house might fetch you quite a lot of profit, but you must always remember there are a couple of expenses associated with selling a house.

The fees levied depend on where you are and your situation. You need to plan, prepare, and budget to ensure you are left with considerable income as a home seller.

If you’re thinking to sell your house fast , preparing an exit strategy before listing a home is important so it can be sold ideally when it is at its peak price. It is also important to choose a cash buyer that is reliable and expert in the job.

Thinking of how to sell my house for cash? We buy Houses in Denver is your best option. Whenever you’re ready to sell your house, a cash offer can make all the difference. As Denver cash home buyers we pay cash for houses and we can help make your house sell quickly! 

Make sure to note how much a home will sell for and consider how much planning you need to do ahead of time. WeBuyHousesInDenver.org is here to help. One of Denver’s cash home buyer companies. There are quite a lot of cash home buyer companies around Denver, but WeBuyHousesInDenver.org is someone you can rely on. Simply call or fill out our online form, and our team of experts will get to work, quick and smart, to help you get your house SOLD!

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Your solution to selling a house and keeping the money on your terms

WeBuyHousesinDenver.org is a cash for houses company and we are experts at buying houses in Denver and all of Colorado. Our mission is to give the people of the Mile High city the best solution to sell any house.  When you sell your house to us there are:

  • NO Fees and we cover all the normal closing costs. 
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There are even more benefits when you sell a house to  WeBuyHousesInDenver.org including:
  • Sell your house as-is (no repairs)
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This is how selling a house in Denver should be!

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“I’m selling my house for cash, where should I go?”

WeBuyHousesInDenver.org is your solution to selling your house, because as Denver’s number 1 cash home buyer we will buy any house in any condition so if you want a cash offer on your property simply give us a call or fill out an online form and our team of experts will get to work, quick smart, to help you get your house SOLD!

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The latest real estate news, forecasts, insight, and advice are brought to you by the leading authorities in the Denver housing market. We have ears and boots on the ground in the Mile High reporting the facts. Extensive research goes into all our articles and we gather information from trusted real estate experts, renowned local Denver housing specialists, home buyers, and more. We buy houses Denver and as accomplished professionals with a proven track record, we now want to share our experiences with you.   Please enjoy!

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