The first number sellers hear is the price. The number that matters is what lands in your account after closing. On the Westside, that gap is bigger than most people expect, mostly because of two transfer taxes that apply to the entire sale price once you cross a line.
Enter your numbers below. If you are close to one of those lines, the calculator will tell you, and that is usually where the most money is won or lost in a sale.
What you would take home from a sale, after commissions, closing costs and the transfer taxes that catch many Westside sellers by surprise.
Estimated net to you
—Estimates only, not tax or legal advice. Transfer taxes per the LA County Registrar-Recorder: county $1.10 per $1,000; City of Los Angeles $4.50 per $1,000 plus Measure ULA (4% of the whole price above $5.4M, 5.5% at $10.9M and above, effective July 1, 2026); Santa Monica $3, $6 or $56 per $1,000 of the whole price (under $5M, $5M to under $8M, $8M and above). Does not include property tax proration, capital gains or loan prepayment terms. Confirm with your escrow officer and CPA.
Start with the sale price, then subtract commissions (commonly 2.5% to each side), escrow and title costs (roughly 0.5%), the LA County transfer tax ($1.10 per $1,000), the City of Los Angeles transfer tax ($4.50 per $1,000), any Measure ULA tax above $5.4 million, and your loan payoff. On a $3.7 million Venice sale with no loan, that leaves roughly 94% of the price.
By local custom the seller pays the county and city transfer taxes, including Measure ULA and Santa Monica's Measure GS. It is negotiable, but buyers rarely take it on at higher price points.
Often, yes. Because Measure ULA applies to the whole price once a sale crosses $5.4 million, a sale slightly above the line can net less than one slightly below it. In the City of Los Angeles, a seller needs to reach roughly $5.64 million to come out ahead of a $5.4 million sale. The right answer depends on the house and the buyers, which is a conversation worth having before you list.
Yes. Santa Monica taxes the whole sale price at 5.6% once it reaches $8 million (Measure GS), compared with 0.6% between $5 million and $8 million. A sale needs to reach roughly $8.45 million to net more than one at just under $8 million.
For today's monthly cost of owning on the Westside, see what it costs to own. If you are thinking about selling, I am happy to run your numbers with you, including the ones that are not on this page.