Selling a Home in Houston, Texas
Houston sits in Harris County, where home sellers benefit from Texas's no state transfer tax structure. The biggest seller-side costs in Houston are agent commissions, the owner's title insurance policy (state-regulated), escrow/closing fees, recording fees, and — if your property is in an HOA — a transfer fee and resale certificate fee.
Houston Title Insurance & Closing Costs
Title insurance premiums in Houston are set by the Texas Department of Insurance — identical at every title company. The seller customarily pays the owner's policy, and escrow fees are usually split with the buyer. Recording fees in Harris County are a small fixed cost at closing.
How to Estimate Your Houston Net Proceeds
- Sale Price: Start with the agreed contract price for your Houston property.
- Mortgage Payoff: Subtract your remaining loan balance and accrued interest.
- Closing Costs: Deduct commissions, owner's title insurance, escrow, recording, and any HOA transfer fee.
- No Transfer Tax: Texas charges no state, county, or city transfer tax — skip that line entirely.
Houston Net Proceeds = Sale Price − Mortgage Payoff − Commissions − Closing Costs