If you’ve been thinking about selling your home in Temple, Belton, Salado, or the surrounding Central Texas area, there’s one question I’ve been getting a lot lately: “How much money will I actually walk away with?”

And honestly? That’s the right question to be asking. Because selling your home isn’t just about what it’s worth… it’s about what you net at closing.

Who This Is REALLY For

Lately, most of the conversations I’m having are with homeowners who bought about 3–4 years ago—right in the height of the market. And now they’re thinking about selling and going: “Wait… why does this feel tighter than I expected?” If that’s you, you’re not crazy—and you’re definitely not alone.

The Real Cost of Selling a Home in Texas

A good rule of thumb? Expect around 8–10% of your sales price to go toward selling costs. Before you panic—no, you’re not writing a check for that upfront. But there are several costs that come out of your proceeds at closing.

Here’s where that money goes:

Real Estate Commissions

Listing agent + buyer’s agent
In this example: 3% each side (always negotiable—this is just for illustration)

Title Policy & Closing Costs

Owner’s title policy (very common in Texas)
Escrow fees, doc prep, recording fees

Buyer Concessions

Helping buyers with closing costs
Rate buy-downs (very common in today’s market)

Repairs & Prep

Inspection items
Getting your home show-ready

Miscellaneous Costs

Moving expenses
Home warranty (optional, but trending right now)

Real Example: Net Sheet Breakdown (Temple, TX)

Let’s look at a real-world example 👇

📍 4512 Briar Cliff Rd, Temple, TX (active at time of writing)
👉 https://myre.io/02cYikiPIRVm

Using an estimated sales price of $244,000, here’s what the numbers look like:

Total Estimated Closing Costs: $27,910.20
Estimated Mortgage Payoff: $217,000
Prorated Taxes: $2,396.55

Estimated Net at Closing:

-$3,306.75

Yep… negative. (I have a breakdown later in this article)

Let’s Talk About That (Before You Spiral)

Before you swear off real estate forever…

This does NOT mean the home lost value
This does NOT mean the seller made a bad decision

It means: It costs money to access your equity. And that’s the part most people don’t realize until they see the numbers.

Why Homeowners Who Bought 3–4 Years Ago Feel “Upside Down”

If you bought in 2021–2022, this might sound familiar. Here’s what’s actually happening:

1. You Bought in a Peak Market

Multiple offers
Over-asking prices
High competition

You didn’t do anything wrong… you just bought in a very aggressive market.

2. Selling Costs Eat Into Equity

Even if your home is worth what you paid… you can still walk away with less than expected. Because math doesn’t care about our feelings.

3. You Haven’t Built Much Equity Yet

In the early years of a mortgage:

Most of your payment goes toward interest
Not much hits the principal yet

It’s giving… slow progress at first.

4. The Market Didn’t Crash—It Normalized

Interest rates increased
Buyer demand cooled
Negotiations came back

The market didn’t betray you… it just calmed down.

The Part No One Talks About: Real Estate Is a LONG Game

Here’s the truth:

Real estate is one of the best forms of investing but it’s long-term investment that you live in.

It’s not designed to:

Make you quick money
Peak immediately after you buy
Perform the same every single year

Timing Matters More Than People Think

If you bought 3–4 years ago:

You’re still early in your loan
You haven’t had time to build strong equity yet
Your investment is still growing

You’re not at the “cash out” phase yet.

The 7+ Year Sweet Spot

In most cases, I tell my clients: Real estate really starts to make the most financial sense around the 7+ year mark.

That’s when:

More principal has been paid down
Appreciation has had time to work
Selling costs are easier to absorb

The Reframe

If your numbers feel tight right now…

It doesn’t mean real estate failed you. It doesn’t mean you made a bad decision It means you’re just not at the finish line yet.

What Are Your Options?

If you’re in this position, you still have choices:

Option 1: Wait It Out

Let the market appreciate
Build more equity
Move closer to that 7+ year sweet spot

Option 2: Bring Funds to Closing

If you need to sell due to life changes
Not ideal—but sometimes necessary

Option 3: Rent It Out

Turn your home into an investment
Let someone else help pay the mortgage

See the Actual Net Sheet (Real Numbers, Real Scenario)

I’ve included the actual net sheet used in this example below so you can see exactly how these numbers break down. This one was put together using a tool from First Community Title (https://fcttx.com)—and honestly, it’s one of my favorite resources to help sellers visualize the full picture.

Because sometimes it’s one thing to hear the numbers and another to actually see where everything is going.

These numbers will look a little different for everyone. It depends on things like your tax rate, your current loan balance, and whether you have any property tax exemptions (homestead, senior, VA disability, etc.). I also included a few items based on trends I’m seeing in our market right now—like sellers contributing toward buyer concessions (closing costs*), paying buyer’s agent compensation, and covering a one-year home warranty.”

What to Look For on a Net Sheet

If you’ve never seen one before, here are the key things to focus on:

Sales Price → What the home is expected to sell for
Loan Payoff → What’s still owed on the mortgage
Closing Costs → This is where that ~8–10% starts showing up
Prorated Taxes → Your portion of property taxes due
Net at Closing → The number that actually matters

This is your real walk-away number.

Why I Love Using Net Sheets With My Clients

Because it takes the conversation from:

“I think I’ll make this much…”

to:

“Okay, here’s exactly what this looks like.”

No guessing.
No surprises.
No spiraling the night before closing.

Just know it’s an estimate, numbers can fluctuate, but it’s usually close!

The Biggest Mistake Sellers Make

They focus on:

“What is my home worth?”

Instead of:

“What will I actually walk away with?”

Those are two VERY different numbers.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in that 3–4 year window and feeling unsure…

You’re not alone.

And you’re definitely not the only one doing the math and thinking:
“Wait… that’s not what I expected.”

You’re not behind.
You’re not stuck.

You’re just early.

Want Your Own Net Sheet?

If you live in the Temple, Belton, Salado, Cameron, or surrounding Central Texas area, I’m happy to run a personalized net sheet for you.

Based on your home
Your loan
Today’s market conditions

So you can see what you’d walk away with before making any decisions. No pressure. No commitment. Just real numbers.

📞 254-718-2186
🌐 https://movewithmallory.net
🔗 https://linktr.ee/movewithmallorytx

Disclaimer

All numbers above are estimates based on current market conditions and example scenarios. Commission rates are not set or fixed, and are always negotiable.