Iowa seller net sheet calculator

Iowa sellers pay a transfer tax of 0.16% on the price above $500, and they usually pay to update the abstract of title. Property taxes run about a year and a half behind, so the seller’s credit to the buyer can be large.

Iowa’s rules checked September 30, 2026Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved.

State Closing date

Iowa: Real estate transfer tax: 0.16% of the price, usually paid by the seller. Owner’s title is usually paid by the buyer.

Sale price

$

Mortgage payoff

$

Commissions

Listing agent

Buyer’s agent

Estimated net to seller $94,482

42%keeps

Sale price$225,000
Commissions−$12,375
- Listing agent commission (3%)est.−$6,750
- Buyer’s agent compensation (2.5%)est.−$5,625
Loans and liens−$115,000
- Mortgage payoff−$115,000
Title and closing−$700
- Settlement or escrow feeest.−$600
- Recording and release feesest.−$100
Taxes−$2,443
- Real estate transfer tax−$359
- Property taxes (prorated)est.−$2,084
Net to seller$94,482

An estimate, not a closing statement. The title or escrow company and your lender provide the final figures, and the loan payoff comes from the lender's payoff statement. Commissions are negotiable.

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A Iowa sale, worked out

The calculator opens on $225,000, about the median value of an owner-occupied home in Iowa ($227,300, 2024 Census estimate), with a $115,000 mortgage payoff as an example. Commissions are whatever the seller agrees, so they’re left out here.

Before commissions and the payoff, the seller’s costs come to about $3,143, or 1.4% of the price, for a closing on December 5, 2026. Iowa’s transfer tax on a $400,000 sale is the 26th highest of the 35 states and DC that have one.

Seller’s costs on $225,000, before commissions and the payoff
Settlement or escrow feeest.	−$600
Recording and release feesest.	−$100
Real estate transfer tax	−$359
Property taxes (prorated)est.	−$2,084
Total	−$3,143

Estimates are tagged “est.”; the rest follow the state’s rules.

The real estate transfer tax and title at other prices

Real estate transfer tax is 0.16% of the price, usually paid by the seller. The owner’s policy below is an estimate; your title company’s quote will differ. The buyer usually pays for it here, so it isn’t in the seller’s costs above.

Sale price	Whole real estate transfer tax	Seller usually pays	Owner’s title policy
$250,000	$399	$399	$875est.
$500,000	$799	$799	$1,750est.
$750,000	$1,199	$1,199	$2,625est.
$1,000,000	$1,599	$1,599	$3,500est.
$2,000,000	$3,199	$3,199	$7,000est.

Selling in Iowa: what to know

Real estate transfer tax

Iowa’s transfer tax is $0.80 per $500 of the price above the first $500, or 0.16%, and the law makes the seller liable. The price includes any lien the buyer assumes, minus stated personal property. On a $250,000 sale it is $399.20.

Title insurance

Private title insurance isn’t sold in Iowa; coverage comes from Iowa Title Guaranty, a state agency. Its owner’s certificate is a flat $175 up to $750,000 ($1 per $1,000 above) and free up to $750,000 when the lender’s certificate is issued at the same time. The seller customarily pays to update the abstract of title.

Who runs the closing

An attorney’s examination of the abstract is the norm in Iowa, but an attorney isn’t required at the closing table. Sellers commonly pay for deed preparation and the abstract update.

Property taxes

Iowa assesses property on January 1, levies the tax the following March and collects it in the fiscal year starting July 1, with halves due September 30 and March 31. Taxes run about 1.5 years behind, so the seller credits the buyer for all accrued unpaid tax through closing.

Selling in Iowa: questions

Who pays transfer tax in Iowa?

The seller. Iowa law makes the grantor liable for the transfer tax of $0.80 per $500 above the first $500, or 0.16%.

What is an abstract update in Iowa?

Iowa titles are traced through an abstract, and the seller customarily pays to bring it up to date for the sale, along with deed preparation.

How are property taxes prorated in Iowa?

Iowa taxes are collected about 1.5 years after the assessment date, so the seller credits the buyer for all tax that has built up and isn’t yet paid through closing day.

How much are seller closing costs in Iowa?

Leaving out commissions, which are whatever the seller agrees, and the loan payoff, a Iowa seller’s costs on a $225,000 sale come to about $3,143 with the calculator’s estimates and a December 5, 2026 closing: settlement or escrow fee $600, recording and release fees $100, real estate transfer tax $359, property taxes (prorated) $2,084. Put in your own numbers above for a closer figure.

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