What Will You Net When You Sell Your Home in Maricopa County, AZ?

Short answer: your net proceeds are your sale price minus your mortgage payoff, your agent's commission, title and escrow fees, prorated property taxes and HOA dues, any repairs or credits you agree to during negotiations, and a handful of smaller closing costs. The only way to know your real number is to have your agent put together a seller's net sheet before you list — not after you're already under contract, when it's too late to adjust your pricing or timing strategy.

A lot of sellers focus entirely on the list price and forget that the number on the sign isn't the number that shows up in their bank account. If you're selling a home in Maricopa County, whether it's a starter house in Buckeye or a $900,000 property in Fountain Hills, understanding what actually comes off the top can change how you price, how you negotiate, and even whether selling right now makes sense at all.

What Actually Comes Out of Your Sale Price

Every seller's net sheet looks a little different, but the categories are usually the same. Here's what typically factors in:

Your Mortgage Payoff

This is usually the biggest line item. Your title company will request a payoff statement from your lender that includes your remaining principal plus interest through the closing date. If you've taken out a home equity line of credit or a second mortgage, that gets paid off too. If you're not sure exactly what you owe, your loan servicer's online portal usually has an estimated payoff, but the final number comes from the official payoff letter your title company orders once you're under contract.

Real Estate Commission

Commission is negotiated between you and your listing agent and can vary by agent, brokerage, and the services included. Ask your agent to walk you through exactly what's included in their fee and how it compares to what you're getting — marketing, negotiation, transaction management, and local market knowledge all factor into that conversation.

Title and Escrow Fees

Your title company charges for the title search, title insurance policy, and escrow services that make sure funds and documents transfer correctly. In Arizona, it's common for the title company to handle escrow as well, so you'll often see one combined bill. These fees vary by title company and sale price, so ask for a preliminary estimate once you have an offer.

Prorated Property Taxes

Arizona property taxes are paid in arrears, which means at closing you'll typically owe the buyer a prorated credit for the portion of the year you owned the home but haven't yet paid taxes on. Your title company calculates this based on your county assessor's records and the closing date.

HOA Fees and Transfer Costs

If your home is in a homeowners association — and a large share of Maricopa County communities are — you'll likely owe a transfer fee, a resale disclosure/document fee, and prorated dues through closing. Some HOAs also require a capital contribution from the buyer, but sellers should still budget for the disclosure package fee, which can catch people off guard if they haven't sold in an HOA community before.

Repairs, Credits, and Concessions

Whatever you agree to during the inspection period — whether that's completing repairs, giving a credit toward the buyer's closing costs, or covering a home warranty — comes out of your proceeds. This is one of the biggest variables in your final number, and it's also the one sellers can influence the most by pricing realistically and keeping the home well-maintained going into the listing.

Miscellaneous Closing Costs

Recording fees, wire fees, and any outstanding liens (think unpaid HOA assessments or a solar loan attached to the property) round out the list. Solar panels are common across Maricopa County, and if yours are financed rather than owned outright, that payoff needs to be accounted for separately from your mortgage.

The Seller's Net Sheet: Ask for One Before You List

A net sheet is a simple worksheet your agent prepares that lists your estimated sale price and subtracts every cost above to show your projected proceeds. The mistake many sellers make is waiting until they have an accepted offer to ask for this. By then, your pricing strategy and negotiating room are already locked in.

Ask for a net sheet at two points: once early, based on a realistic estimated sale price, so you can decide whether selling makes sense for your goals; and again once you have an accepted offer, so you know your actual number heading into closing. If you're weighing whether to sell now or wait, or whether a lower offer with fewer contingencies nets you more than a higher offer with a long list of buyer requests, the net sheet is what makes that comparison possible.

Higher-Value Homes: What Changes Above $600K

If you're selling a higher-value home in Maricopa County — the $600,000 to $1.2M-plus range is where a lot of move-up buyers and luxury communities live — a few things deserve extra attention on your net sheet:

• Capital gains considerations. If your gain from the sale is significant, it's worth talking to a tax professional about how much of it qualifies for the primary residence exclusion and whether any of it will be taxable. This is a tax question, not a real estate one, so loop in a CPA early rather than guessing.
• Staging and pre-listing costs. Higher-value homes typically compete on presentation. Professional photography, staging, and sometimes minor updates before listing come out of pocket before you ever get to closing, so factor those into your overall math, not just your closing statement.
• Longer marketing timelines. Luxury and move-up inventory in Maricopa County can take longer to sell than entry-level homes, which means carrying costs — your current mortgage, utilities, HOA dues — may run longer than you'd plan for on a starter home.
• Buyer financing complexity. Homes priced above the conventional conforming loan limit often involve jumbo financing, which can mean a longer underwriting timeline for your buyer. That's worth factoring into your closing date expectations, even though it doesn't directly change your net number.

Stephanie Pondevie is a bilingual REALTOR® in Maricopa County, AZ, helping sellers — especially those navigating higher-value sales in the $600K to $1.2M-plus range — understand exactly what they'll walk away with before they ever put a sign in the yard.

Two Scenarios

Scenario One: A Straightforward Sale in Chandler

A seller in Chandler lists a home they've owned for eight years. Their mortgage payoff is modest, they're not in an HOA with major transfer fees, and the buyer's inspection turns up only minor items the seller agrees to credit rather than repair. Their net sheet is fairly simple: sale price, minus payoff, minus commission, minus title and escrow, minus the small inspection credit, minus prorated taxes. Because they asked for a net sheet before listing, they went into negotiations already knowing their bottom line, which made it easy to accept a strong offer with a quick close instead of holding out for a slightly higher price with more contingencies attached.

Scenario Two: A Higher-Value Sale in Fountain Hills

A seller in Fountain Hills is listing a home in the $950,000 range. They're in an HOA with a resale disclosure fee, they have an outstanding solar loan on the property, and they agreed to a modest buyer credit after the inspection. Their commission and title costs are proportionally larger given the sale price, and their solar payoff has to be requested separately from their mortgage payoff. Because their agent walked them through an updated net sheet as soon as they accepted the offer, there were no surprises at the closing table — including a heads-up that the solar payoff would need a few extra business days to process, which they planned around instead of scrambling for at the last minute.

Common Mistakes Sellers Make With Their Net Proceeds

The most common one is assuming the list price, or even the accepted offer price, is close to what they'll receive. Another is forgetting HOA transfer and disclosure fees entirely until they show up on the closing statement. Sellers also frequently underestimate how much negotiated repair credits can add up, especially if multiple smaller issues come up during inspection. And solar panels catch people off guard more often than you'd expect — if yours are financed, that payoff is separate from your mortgage and needs to be requested on its own.

The fix for all of these is the same: ask for a net sheet early, update it once you're under contract, and ask your title company for a preliminary closing statement a few days before closing so there are no surprises when you sign.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I know my exact net proceeds?

You'll get an estimated figure from your agent's net sheet before and during the sale process, but your exact number comes from the final closing disclosure your title company prepares, usually a few days before closing.

Do I have to pay my agent's commission if the sale falls through?

Generally, commission is only owed if the sale successfully closes, but the specifics depend on your listing agreement. Read your agreement carefully or ask your agent to explain the terms before you sign.

What if my net proceeds come out lower than I expected?

This is exactly why getting a net sheet early matters — it gives you the chance to adjust your list price, timeline, or negotiating strategy before you're locked into a contract, rather than finding out at the closing table.

Are HOA fees always part of my closing costs?

If your home is in an HOA, yes — expect a transfer fee, a resale disclosure package fee, and prorated dues through your closing date. The exact amounts vary by community, so ask your HOA management company early.

Do I need a tax professional if I'm selling a higher-value home?

It's worth a conversation, especially if your gain is significant or you've used the home for anything other than a primary residence during your ownership. A CPA can tell you what's excludable and what isn't based on your specific situation.

Can I get a net sheet before I even decide to list?

Yes, and you should. A good agent can put together a preliminary net sheet based on comparable sales and your mortgage balance so you can decide if selling makes sense before you commit to anything.

Know Your Number Before You List

Selling a home in Maricopa County involves more moving pieces than most people expect, and your net proceeds depend on decisions you make well before closing day — from how you price the home to how you negotiate repairs. If you want a clear, honest net sheet before you make any decisions, reach out to Stephanie Pondevie at yourhomecomesfirst.com. Stephanie works with sellers across Maricopa County, in English and Spanish, and will walk you through exactly what you can expect to walk away with.