When most homeowners decide to sell, the first number they focus on is the list price. It makes sense. A higher sale price feels like a better outcome. But the list price and what you actually walk away with at closing are often two very different numbers.

Between agent commissions, closing costs, repair expenses, seller concessions, and months of carrying costs while your home sits on the market, the gap between what your house sells for and what ends up in your bank account can be significant. That is exactly what the House Buyers of America Home Sale Calculator is designed to help you see before you make any decisions.

Why the “Higher Offer” Is Not Always the Better Deal

In our experience, sellers regularly underestimate what a traditional sale actually costs. We have worked with homeowners who turned down a competitive cash offer because the list price was higher, only to end up with less at closing once all the fees were factored in.

Here is what the traditional route typically adds up to for a seller:

• Agent commissions averaging around 5.7% in 2026
• Seller closing costs covering title fees, escrow, transfer taxes, and recordation fees
• Pre-listing repair costs to get the home market-ready
• Seller concessions agreed to after inspection
• Monthly holding costs including mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and utilities for however long the home sits

On a $400,000 home, commissions alone can run $19,000 to $22,800, and when you add in closing costs and preparation expenses, total selling costs often land between 10% and 15% of the sale price. That is $40,000 to $60,000 coming off the top before you see a dollar.

How the Calculator Works

Agent vs Cash Calculator

Agent vs Cash: Home Sale Calculator

Compare your estimated net proceeds in 60 seconds.

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The Home Sale Calculator runs both options side by side so you can compare them with your actual numbers.

The Agent Sale tab asks for your expected sale price, your mortgage payoff balance, agent commission rate (adjustable by slider), seller closing costs, transfer and recordation taxes, any seller concessions, estimated repair costs, how many months you expect the process to take, and your monthly holding costs. Each of these inputs is adjustable so you can model different scenarios.

The Cash Sale tab works from the same sale price and applies a cash convenience discount, which reflects the typical reduction a cash investor offers in exchange for a fast, As-Is purchase with no financing contingency. You can adjust that slider as well. Closing costs on the cash side are minimal, typically around $400 since there are no agent commissions, no repairs, and no transfer taxes paid by the seller.

Both sides calculate to a net proceeds number so you can see, line by line, what each path actually returns.

What the Numbers Look Like in Practice

Take a home worth $350,000 with a $180,000 mortgage payoff. Using typical inputs on the agent side, including a 5.7% commission, 3% closing costs, $8,000 in repairs, $5,000 in concessions, and eight months of $2,500 monthly holding costs, the net proceeds come in around $128,000.

On the cash side, with a 13% convenience discount bringing the purchase price to $304,500 and minimal closing costs, the net comes in around $124,000.

That is a gap of roughly $4,000, closing happens in days, not months. For many sellers, that difference shrinks considerably or disappears entirely when their home needs more repairs, when the market is slow, or when the holding timeline runs longer than expected.

A Real Example of When the Math Favors a Cash Sale

Samantha Frasier inherited a home in Spotsylvania, Virginia while living out of state. The property needed a full interior update, including the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, paint, and exterior repairs, along with a complete cleanout. Coordinating contractors and showings from another state was not realistic. Rather than take on months of uncertainty and the cost of managing a property remotely, Samantha sold As-Is to House Buyers of America and closed in under 30 days with no repairs, no fees, and no travel required. Read Samantha’s full story here.

When a Traditional Sale Still Makes Sense

The calculator does not exist to push sellers toward one answer. For the right homeowner, a traditional sale is still the better path.

If your home is in good condition, you have time to wait, and you are not carrying significant holding costs, listing with an agent can maximize what you walk away with. The math often supports it, and the calculator will show you that too.

When the Numbers Tend to Favor a Cash Sale

The cash path tends to look more competitive when repairs are needed, when the timeline is tight, when an inherited property has been sitting vacant, or when holding costs are eating into proceeds every month the home stays on the market.

Many sellers are surprised by how close the two numbers actually are once they factor in everything. In our experience, the honest comparison is rarely as lopsided as people assume going in.

See What Your Numbers Look Like

The best way to understand your options is to run your own numbers. The Home Sale Calculator takes about 60 seconds and gives you a side-by-side breakdown with no obligation.

If you want to compare a real cash offer from House Buyers of America against the traditional route, we can give you a number to plug in. We buy homes As-Is across Virginia, Maryland, DC, and beyond, with no commissions, no repairs, and no uncertainty