One of the first questions I hear from sellers, especially folks getting ready to downsize, is some version of “What am I actually going to walk away with?” It’s the right question to ask. The sale price is only half the story.
Selling a home in Redding comes with a handful of costs that come out of your proceeds at closing. Some are fixed by law, some are set by local custom, and some are fully up to negotiation.
Below I’ll walk through each one, then put it all together in a sample net sheet for a home around Shasta County’s current median price. My goal is simple: no surprises when you sit down to sign.
Real Estate Commissions in Redding After the 2024 NAR Settlement
Commissions are usually the largest selling cost, and the rules changed in August 2024. Here’s what that means for you as a seller in 2026:
- Commissions have always been negotiable, and they still are. There is no set or “standard” rate.
- Buyer-agent pay is handled separately now. Buyers must sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes, and that agreement spells out what their agent earns.
- Offers of buyer-agent compensation no longer appear on the MLS. If a buyer asks you to cover some or all of their agent’s fee, that becomes part of the offer and negotiation.
For context, Clever Real Estate’s August 2026 agent survey put the national average total commission at about 5.46% (roughly 2.76% listing side, 2.70% buyer side), and its California average was lower, about 5.08%. Those are survey averages, not rules. What you pay depends on the services you want and what you negotiate.
Escrow, Title, and the Shasta County Transfer Tax
These are the “paperwork” costs of closing, and in Shasta County they follow local custom unless your contract says otherwise.
- Escrow fees: Published title-company guides show escrow fees are customarily split 50/50 between buyer and seller in Shasta County.
- Owner’s title policy: This is the one where custom is less clear. One major title company’s guide lists it as split; others leave it open. In practice, it’s decided in your purchase contract, so we’ll talk it through before you accept an offer. On a $400,000 home, an owner’s policy commonly runs in the $1,200 to $2,500 range statewide.
- Documentary transfer tax: Shasta County charges $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price, customarily paid by the seller. Redding is a general law city, so its share is credited within that same $1.10. There is no extra city transfer tax in Redding. On a $400,000 sale, that’s $440.
Property Taxes, Your Mortgage Payoff, and HOA Fees
A few costs aren’t really “fees” at all. They’re bills you already owe, settled at closing.
- Prorated property taxes: You pay taxes for the days you owned the home during the tax year (July 1 to June 30). In Shasta County, the first installment is due November 1 and goes delinquent December 10; the second is due February 1 and goes delinquent April 10. Depending on when you close, escrow will either collect your share or credit you back if you’ve prepaid.
- Mortgage payoff: Escrow orders a payoff statement from your lender. Expect it to include interest through the payoff date, which can be a bit more than the balance on your last statement.
- HOA transfer and document fees: If you’re in an HOA, the association charges for the documents a buyer is entitled to review. These fees vary widely, so I like to request the HOA’s fee schedule early.
Disclosures, Inspections, and Repair Credits
California sellers owe buyers a full set of disclosures, and a few of those items cost money.
- Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) report: The seller customarily pays, and reports typically run about $50 to $150. You have the right to choose the provider.
- Repairs or credits after inspection: Most buyers inspect, and many come back with requests. Sometimes it’s a small fix; sometimes it’s a credit toward a roof or HVAC issue. This number varies more than anything else on the list.
My advice here: if you know about a problem, it’s usually cheaper to price it in or address it up front than to negotiate it under deadline pressure later.
Prep, Staging, and Seller Concessions With Rates Near 7%
Getting a home ready to sell costs something, but it doesn’t have to be much. Fresh paint, yard cleanup, a deep clean, and a few repairs go a long way. Full staging is optional and makes more sense for some homes than others.
Rates matter here too. Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed average climbed to 7.03% on September 24, 2026, up from 6.95% the week before. At that level, some buyers ask sellers for credits toward closing costs or a rate buydown instead of a lower price. That’s a cost to plan for, not a reason to worry.
The good news is that Shasta County homes are still selling close to asking. According to Redfin, for the three months ending July 2026:
- Median sale price: $391,352
- Sale-to-list ratio: 98.2%
- 23.9% of homes sold above list price
- Median days on market: 33
A Sample Net Sheet for a $400,000 Redding Home
Here’s how the pieces might add up. Every number below is a rough, illustrative estimate, not a quote. Your real numbers will depend on your home, your contract, and your loan. For illustration only, I’m using 2.5% per side for commissions; your actual figure is whatever you negotiate.
- Sale price: $400,000
- Listing brokerage fee (example 2.5%): about $10,000
- Buyer-agent compensation, only if you agree to pay it (example 2.5%): about $10,000
- Shasta County transfer tax ($1.10 per $1,000): $440
- Seller’s half of escrow (rough estimate): about $500 to $1,000
- Owner’s title policy, if you pay it under the contract (rough estimate): about $1,200 to $2,500
- NHD report (rough estimate): about $100
- Prorated property taxes (rough estimate, fall closing): about $1,000
- Repair credit after inspection (example): about $3,000
- Prep and cleanup (example): about $2,000
- HOA fees: $0 in this example; varies if you have an HOA
That comes to roughly $17,000 to $30,000 in selling costs, depending mostly on whether you cover buyer-agent pay and how inspection negotiations go. That’s about 4.3% to 7.5% of the price in this example.
From there, subtract your mortgage payoff. If you owe $180,000, you’d walk away with somewhere around $190,000 to $203,000 before any taxes.
Capital Gains: The Basics Before You Sell
For most longtime Redding homeowners, capital gains tax isn’t an issue, but it’s worth a quick check, especially for downsizers who’ve owned for decades.
- The IRS lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 if married filing jointly) on the sale of your main home.
- Generally, you must have owned and lived in the home at least two of the last five years.
- Your selling costs and qualifying improvements can reduce your taxable gain, so keep your records.
Every situation is different. Please talk with a CPA or tax professional before you list, not after.
Let’s Run Your Real Numbers
A sample net sheet is a starting point. Yours will look different based on your home, your loan, your timeline, and what you negotiate. I’m happy to sit down with you, walk through each line, and put together an estimate for your Redding home with no pressure and no obligation.
530-953-1100 · jcreteam.com/contact · [email protected]
About Justin Cartwright — Justin Cartwright is a third-generation Shasta County resident and licensed REALTOR® with Waterman Real Estate in Redding, CA. He and the JCRE Team specialize in helping buyers and sellers navigate the Redding and greater Shasta County market with honest guidance and genuine care. DRE License #02093872 · Waterman Real Estate, 1760 Churn Creek Rd, Redding, CA 96002 · 530-953-1100.
Sources: Redfin Shasta County Housing Market (3 months ending July 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (Sept. 24, 2026); Clever Real Estate Average Commission Survey (Aug. 2026); National Association of REALTORS® settlement FAQs; Old Republic Title and Fidelity National Title customary closing cost guides; CaliforniaCityFinance.com transfer tax rates (Dec. 2025); Shasta County Treasurer-Tax Collector; IRS Topic 701 and Publication 523; HomeLight NHD guide; 805 Title cost guide.
