How Much Are Closing Costs in NC? What Sellers Really Pay in 2026

how much are closing costs in nc - couple reviewing home sale paperwork on the porch of a brick ranch house in Charlotte North Carolina

How much are closing costs in NC? Plan on 7 to 9 percent of your sale price if you sell with a traditional agent, roughly $26,500 to $34,100 on North Carolina’s $378,655 median home. Strip out the commissions, though, and the true closing costs drop to about 1 percent: the state excise tax, attorney fees, […]

How to Sell a House by Owner in Georgia (Save $11K, 2026)

how to sell a house by owner in georgia - homeowner couple on the porch of a brick traditional home near Atlanta with blooming dogwoods

How to sell a house by owner in Georgia: price it against recent local comps, list it on FMLS or Georgia MLS through a flat fee service, disclose known defects in writing, negotiate your own contract, and hire the Georgia closing attorney state law requires. Do it right and keep the $9,250 to $11,700 a […]

Dual Agency: Risks, Rules, and How Sellers Protect Themselves (2026)

dual agency - real estate agent representing both the buyer and the seller at a home sale negotiation table

Dual agency is when a single real estate agent represents both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction. It’s legal in most states with written consent, but it creates a built-in conflict of interest: one agent can’t fully advocate for two people with opposite goals. For sellers, dual agency usually means less negotiating […]

Seller Net Sheet: What It Is and How Much You’ll Really Keep (2026)

seller net sheet example - a couple reviewing their home sale finances and net proceeds at a kitchen table

A seller net sheet is a line-by-line estimate of how much money you’ll actually walk away with after selling your home. It starts with your sale price, then subtracts commissions, closing costs, taxes, and your remaining loan balance. The number at the bottom — your net proceeds — is the figure that really matters. I’m […]

Closing Costs in Arizona: What Sellers Really Pay in 2026

closing costs in arizona - suburban Arizona stucco home with red tile roof, saguaro cactus and desert landscaping at sunset

Closing costs in Arizona typically run about 6% to 9% of the sale price for sellers and 2% to 5% for buyers. Here’s the good news I tell every seller I work with: Arizona charges no real estate transfer tax, so your single biggest controllable cost is the agent commission — and that’s exactly where […]

Do You Need a Lawyer to Sell a House?

do you need a lawyer to sell a house - home seller and real estate attorney reviewing closing documents at a table

Do you need a lawyer to sell a house? In most of the country, no. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. states let you close a home sale with a title or escrow company and no attorney at all. But about a dozen states — mostly in the Northeast and Southeast — legally require an attorney to […]

Flat Fee Realtor: Save $18K in 2026 (Worth It?)

flat fee realtor shaking hands with a happy homeowner couple in front of their house

A flat fee realtor is a licensed real estate agent or brokerage that charges one fixed price to sell your home instead of a percentage-based commission. Depending on the service level, you’ll pay anywhere from about $100 for a listing-only package to $3,000–$5,000 for full representation — often saving five figures versus the traditional 2.5–3% […]

How to Sell a House by Owner in Florida (Save $11K in 2026)

how to sell a house by owner in florida - happy couple standing in front of their single-story Florida home with palm trees and a barrel tile roof

To learn how to sell a house by owner in Florida, follow this sequence: price the home, get it on the local MLS through a flat fee service, write a compliant Florida disclosure, market and show the property, negotiate the contract, and close through a title company. Done right, selling by owner in Florida can […]

Home Inspection Cost in 2026: The Ultimate Eye-Opening Guide for Buyers

home inspection cost

How Much Does a Home Inspection Really Cost? I’ve walked through hundreds of real estate transactions over the years, and the one question that comes up in nearly every single deal is some version of “how much is this going to cost me?” The home inspection cost is usually the first out-of-pocket expense buyers face […]

Discount Real Estate Brokers: Save $12K+ in 2026 (Proven)

discount real estate brokers

Discount real estate brokers sell your home for a reduced commission or a flat fee — typically 1% to 2% of the sale price, or sometimes just a few hundred dollars, instead of the traditional 2.5% to 3% listing fee. On a $425,000 home, that’s the difference between paying $10,625 and paying $4,250. Or less. […]