How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House in the Coastal Bend?

By Jordan Huber

Jordan Huber is a homegrown Texan, having served the South Texas Community in roles of coaching, education, and real estate for over 10 years. The Huber Realty Group was created with a central focus on being the Hub for all of your real estate needs.

Almost every seller I talk to has a number in their head, the one they figure they’ll walk away with. It’s usually too high, not because they did the math wrong, but because they only counted one cost. Before your home hits the market, I like to go through every closing cost with you, so the number you’re counting on actually holds up.

Here’s how common it’s become.

Realtor.com found that 83% of people planning to sell this year expect to get their asking price or more, but only 39% expected to hand the buyer any concessions. Then Redfin looked at what actually happened in May, and 46.2% of sellers ended up paying a concession, the highest May share on record. That gap between what sellers expect and what the market is asking is costing people thousands they assumed they’d keep.

So let’s go through what’s really on your closing statement.

Commission is the cost you’ve already counted. It’s the number everyone talks about, and it’s usually one of the biggest lines on your statement, but it’s also negotiable. When we sit down, we look at what your home can realistically sell for and build the commission right into your estimated closing statement, so you feel good about the final figure before you ever list. I want you comfortable with that walk-away number so we can move forward as a team.

Concessions are the cost sellers miss most, and now they’re the norm. A concession isn’t a price cut. It’s a credit you give the buyer at closing, and it can go toward repairs, their closing costs, or buying down their rate, but either way it comes out of your proceeds and shows up as a deduction.

The numbers tell the story: 39% of sellers expected to make one this year, but 46.2% actually did in May. And a concession doesn’t always replace a price cut. Sometimes you need both; one in seven sellers this past May did exactly that. Location matters too. If you’re near a new-construction community, you may have to offer concessions just to compete with the builder incentives.

The reason it’s climbing everywhere is simple: there are about 47% more sellers than buyers right now, and when buyers have options, more of them ask and get a yes.

Everything else piles up in a stack most sellers never plan for. This is where the surprises hide: title fees, prorated taxes, recording fees, document fees - all things we input together when we go over your costs. The big one besides commission is your mortgage payoff, and many people miss the catch. It usually isn’t just your loan balance. Depending on when you close, your bank adds interest to the payoff, and since most closings land about 30 days out, that can add an extra thousand or fifteen hundred dollars. It’s always worth calling your bank for your exact payoff instead of guessing.

That’s really the theme of all of it: anyone quoting you one national percentage is guessing, because what matters is your county and sometimes your city. It’s why this has to be a local conversation.

So here’s what I’d tell you before you sell. Instead of asking what it costs to sell, ask what you’ll actually walk away with. That’s what we figure out in a seller consultation: the process, your estimated costs, and your estimated take-home at the closing table. It’s not a guess or an online estimate. It’s a specific number for your specific home in your specific neighborhood.

If you’d like to find your number or set up a consultation, call or text me at +1-361-302-2447, email me at jordan@homesofcorpuschristi.com, or reach out through homesofcorpuschristi.com. I’d love to sit down or hop on the phone and see whether now’s the right time to sell.