The Clear Number
Probate Net Sheet Estimator
Clarity in the middle of a hard season. See what the home could net and what each heir may receive, before anyone has to decide anything.
Start Your EstimatePrivate by design: nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.
Numbers everyone in the family can see.
When siblings are in different cities and nobody has the same information, even a good family can drift apart. Clear numbers keep everyone on the same page, and the same page is where decisions get easier.
Essential repairs and clean-out can be paid from your escrow proceeds at closing, so the estate doesn't have to find cash first. Utilities, insurance and attorney fees remain the estate's responsibility. This estimator shows both.
As your probate real estate broker and CPRES, my job is to give you clear, transparent numbers on the property value, the estimated closing costs, and the market data so your family can make informed decisions. I coordinate the real estate sale and keep our timeline on track, and I always work alongside your attorney and CPA so the legal and tax sides of the estate are fully protected.
Build your estimate
Every amount below is an example. Replace each one with your own numbers. Fees, costs and shares vary by estate.
The sale
Start with the price and anything that must be paid off from the sale.
Include any second mortgage or equity line.
Anything that must be cleared to transfer title, such as tax liens or a lender's early-payoff fee. Leave at 0 if none.
Costs paid at closing
These come out of the sale proceeds in escrow, so no one writes a check. Leave any line at 0 if it doesn't apply.
Agent fees
What the sale costs to market and close.
This is the total for both sides of the sale: the listing agent and the buyer's agent. Commissions are negotiable, and in a court-confirmed sale the court may approve the commission. This is only an example.
Title & escrow
Paid through escrow at closing.
The percent is taken from the sale price you entered in Step 1. In Southern California the seller customarily pays this, often about 0.5% to 1%.
Often split between buyer and seller. Confirm with escrow.
Taxes & government fees
Confirm each with escrow, since they vary by city.
$1.10 for every $1,000 of the sale price you entered in Step 1, the same everywhere in LA County. The page fills this in for you.
Only five LA County cities add their own, figured on the sale price from Step 1. Confirm with escrow.
Ask escrow for your city's rate.
The total for one full year, from your latest property tax bill.
Property tax is billed twice a year. Look at your last tax payment and see what date it pays through. Count the months from that date to the day you expect to close. Example: the last payment covers through December and you close in March, so that is 3 months. Not sure? Leave it at 3. Escrow figures the exact amount.
Usually applies to out-of-state sellers. Estates often qualify for an exemption. Confirm with escrow or your attorney. It is held back, not a fee, and may be credited back later.
Reports, HOA & extras
Only the ones your sale needs.
Leave at 0 if there is no HOA.
An optional policy some sellers buy for the buyer.
Credits negotiated with the buyer, if any.
Repairs & clean-out
The pay-at-close line: essential repairs come out of escrow proceeds.
Essential repairs can be paid from escrow proceeds at closing, so the estate doesn't need cash up front.
Either way the cost is the same. This shows how much cash the estate would need before closing.
Estate costs
These costs belong to the estate, not to the sale. The estate pays them directly, not through escrow, and your attorney can confirm the amounts.
Professional fees
Paid by the estate, usually at the end. In a court probate, California sets a sliding scale for the attorney and for the executor.
Cash, bank accounts, vehicles and other assets that go through probate. Leave at 0 if the house is the only asset.
The sale price from Step 1, plus the other assets you entered. Loans on the house are not subtracted.
Some executors waive their fee. Choose "Waived" if that applies.
See the California sliding scale
| Slice of the estate value | Fee rate |
|---|---|
| First $100,000 | 4% |
| Next $100,000 | 3% |
| Next $800,000 | 2% |
| Next $9,000,000 | 1% |
| Next $15,000,000 | 0.5% |
| Above $25,000,000 | An amount the court decides |
Each rate applies only to its own slice, and the attorney and the executor each use this same scale. Court-approved extra fees for special work are not included. This applies to court probate. Estates settled through a trust are usually handled differently, so ask your attorney.
Keeping the house until it closes
Enter what the estate pays each month. The page multiplies it by the months until closing.
From today to closing day. A typical probate sale takes several months, and a court-confirmed sale can take longer.
Only if the estate is still making payments before closing. Leave at 0 if there is no loan.
Water, power, gas, trash and internet.
A vacant-home policy is often needed while the house sits empty.
Yard care, pool, pest control, locks and security checks.
Total for these four lines until closing.
Other estate fees
Name each fee yourself, for example court costs, an appraisal, a storage unit or a dump run. Leave at 0 if not needed.
Each heir's share
When everyone sees the same numbers, it's easier for a family to stay on the same page. Shares start equal. Type a percent or a dollar amount on any line and the other fills in. Add or rename heirs as needed.
If you change the sale price or a cost after typing a dollar amount for an heir, that dollar amount stays put and the percent adjusts. If you typed a percent, the percent stays put and the dollars adjust.
Final shares follow the will or trust and the court's orders. Specific gifts and estate debts are not calculated here.
Before, during and after closing
A simple picture of when each cost shows up. Amounts update with your numbers.
- Before closingKeeping the house$0
- At closingPaid through escrow$0
- After closingEstate fees, then shares$0
- Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist (CPRES)
- Licensed in California since 2002
- 24 years of Los Angeles County real estate experience
Wondering how long the court process takes?
The free guide walks you through the probate road ahead in plain English, seen through the eyes of a probate real estate agent. It is general information, not legal advice. You can also read about the book, The California Heir's Roadmap.
Want these numbers built on your home's real figures?
I'll prepare a confidential net sheet for the estate, with no pressure and no obligation, and in the same plain English you just read.
Request a Net Sheet Review Private, and shared only with the people you choose.The Clear Number is a general education and planning tool. It is not legal, tax or accounting advice, and it is not an appraisal or a guarantee of any sale price or result. Transfer tax, attorney and executor fees, and other costs vary by city, estate and agreement, so please confirm them with your estate attorney, your CPA and your escrow officer. Always follow the will or trust and the court's orders when distributing proceeds.