Most sellers know their home's list price down to the dollar. Far fewer know what they'll actually walk away with — and that number, not the sale price, is the one that matters for planning your next move. This guide breaks down every cost a typical New Braunfels seller pays at closing, walks through a real worked example so the math is concrete instead of abstract, and covers the New Braunfels-specific line items — like HOA resale certificates in master-planned communities — that generic national guides tend to skip. If you're figuring out the buyer's side of the table instead, see Closing Costs in Texas: What Buyers Pay.
THE BIG PICTURE
What "Closing Costs" Actually Means for a Seller
Buyer and seller closing costs are almost entirely different line items, which is why a buyer's closing cost estimate is useless for figuring out what a seller nets. A buyer's costs are mostly loan-related — origination fees, appraisal, lender's title policy. A seller's costs are mostly transaction-related — real estate commission, the owner's title insurance policy, and prorated obligations like property taxes and HOA dues that need to be settled as of the closing date. In Texas specifically, custom (not law) generally has the seller paying for the owner's title insurance policy, which protects the buyer's ownership interest — this is one of the largest seller line items and it's worth understanding before you see it on a closing statement for the first time.
Commission Is Usually the Biggest Line Item, by Far
Real estate commission is typically the single largest cost a seller pays, and — especially since 2024's industry-wide changes to how commissions are presented — it's fully negotiable between a seller and their listing agent, split however the seller and their agent agree between the listing side and the side representing the buyer. There's no fixed or legally required percentage. What matters more than the number itself is understanding what that commission is paying for: pricing strategy, professional photography and marketing, negotiation on your behalf, and management of the transaction through closing — all of which directly affect your net number, not just the sale price.
Owner's Title Insurance: Customary, Not Legally Required, But Expect It
In Texas, it's standard practice — not a legal requirement — for the seller to pay for the buyer's owner's title insurance policy, which protects the buyer against title defects, liens, or ownership disputes that surface after closing. Texas title insurance premiums are set by the state (promulgated rates), so the cost isn't something you shop around for the way you would other closing costs — it's based on the sale price according to a fixed state schedule, which at least makes it predictable.
THE FULL LIST
Every Cost a New Braunfels Seller Typically Pays
Beyond commission and title insurance, a handful of smaller line items round out a typical New Braunfels closing statement. Not every seller pays every item on this list — it depends on the specific transaction — but this covers what shows up most often.
- Real estate commission — negotiated between seller and listing agent, typically the largest single cost
- Owner's title insurance policy — customary for the seller to pay in Texas, priced on the state's promulgated rate schedule
- Title company or attorney escrow/closing fee — usually split between buyer and seller by local custom, though this is also negotiable
- Prorated property taxes — since Texas taxes are paid in arrears, sellers typically credit the buyer for their share of the year's taxes up to the closing date
- Existing mortgage payoff — including any per diem interest owed through the payoff date, and a payoff processing fee some lenders charge
- HOA resale certificate and transfer fees — required in HOA communities (common in New Braunfels master-planned neighborhoods) before a sale can close
- Prorated HOA dues — settled as of the closing date, similar to property taxes
- Home warranty — sometimes offered by the seller as a buyer incentive, not required
- Recording and courier fees — small administrative costs charged by the title company
- Attorney fees — if either party chooses to have an attorney review or handle the transaction, which is optional but common for more complex situations like inherited property or a divorce sale
A REAL EXAMPLE
A Worked Net Proceeds Example
Numbers land differently as a concrete example than as a list of categories. Here's an illustrative walk-through for a home selling at $400,000 — treat the dollar figures as representative, not a quote for any specific property, since actual costs vary by lender, title company, and the specifics of the transaction.
- Sale price: $400,000
- Less real estate commission (illustrative, fully negotiable): roughly $20,000–$24,000
- Less owner's title insurance policy (Texas promulgated rate at this price point): roughly $2,600–$2,800
- Less title company escrow/closing fee (seller's typical share): roughly $300–$500
- Less prorated property taxes owed through closing date: varies by month of closing and the property's tax bill
- Less remaining mortgage payoff: whatever principal balance remains, plus per diem interest
- Less HOA resale certificate fee and prorated dues, if applicable: typically $200–$400 for the certificate alone in most New Braunfels master-planned communities
- Estimated net proceeds: sale price minus the mortgage payoff and roughly 8–10% of the sale price in combined commission, title, and closing costs — before any tax proration or HOA items specific to the property
WHAT'S FLEXIBLE
Costs That Are Negotiable vs. Costs That Aren't
Some of these line items have real room to negotiate; others don't. Commission is fully negotiable — it's an agreement between a seller and their agent, not a fixed rate. The escrow/closing fee split between buyer and seller is customary in this market but not legally fixed, and can be negotiated as part of the offer. A home warranty, if offered at all, is entirely optional and often used strategically as a buyer incentive rather than a required cost. On the other end, owner's title insurance premiums are set by the state and aren't negotiable in the way other costs are — the number is what it is based on sale price. Prorated property taxes and HOA dues aren't negotiable either; they're a mechanical calculation based on the closing date, not a matter of agreement between the parties.
LOCAL SPECIFICS
HOA Resale Certificates and Transfer Fees in New Braunfels Communities
This is the line item most national closing-cost guides miss entirely, and it matters a lot in New Braunfels specifically because so much of the local market — Vintage Oaks, Veramendi, River Chase, and other master-planned communities — is HOA-governed. Before a sale can close in an HOA community, the seller (or their title company) typically has to request a resale certificate from the HOA or its management company, which discloses current dues, any special assessments, rule violations, and the community's financial health to the buyer. That certificate usually carries its own fee, separate from prorated dues, and processing time varies by HOA management company — in a fast-moving transaction, this is worth requesting early rather than waiting until the week of closing, since some management companies take longer than a title company's typical timeline assumes.
NEXT STEP
How to Get an Accurate Net Sheet Before You List
Every figure above is illustrative — the only way to know your actual net proceeds is a seller's net sheet built around your specific mortgage balance, your specific HOA (if any), and current commission terms. Todd Spencer prepares a real net sheet for every seller before they list, using your actual numbers instead of national averages, so you know what you're walking away with before you commit to a price — not after an offer is already on the table.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions.
What closing costs does the seller pay in Texas?
The largest is typically real estate commission, followed by the owner's title insurance policy, which is customary (though not legally required) for the seller to pay in Texas. Beyond that, sellers typically cover a share of the title company's escrow/closing fee, prorated property taxes and HOA dues through the closing date, their remaining mortgage payoff, and — if applicable — an HOA resale certificate fee. The exact total depends on the sale price, the property's tax and HOA situation, and negotiated terms.
Is there a Texas transfer tax when you sell a home?
No. Texas is one of a minority of states with no state-level real estate transfer tax, which meaningfully lowers total seller closing costs compared to states that do charge one. Texas does have its own set of standard seller closing costs — commission, title insurance, prorations — but a transfer tax isn't one of them.
How much are seller closing costs in New Braunfels?
As a rough rule of thumb, combined commission, title insurance, and standard closing fees typically run somewhere around 8–10% of the sale price, before factoring in mortgage payoff, tax proration, or HOA-specific costs, all of which vary by property. This is a general planning figure, not a substitute for an actual net sheet built around your specific numbers.
Can seller closing costs be negotiated?
Some can, some can't. Commission is fully negotiable between a seller and their agent. The title company escrow fee split is customary but can be negotiated as part of an offer. Owner's title insurance premiums, by contrast, are set by the state on a promulgated rate schedule and aren't something you can negotiate down. Prorated taxes and HOA dues are a mechanical calculation, not a negotiation.
Do I pay closing costs if I sell my home as-is?
Yes — closing costs are separate from the repair-or-as-is decision. Selling as-is affects the sale price and what (if any) repair credits get negotiated into the deal, but the standard closing cost line items — commission, title insurance, prorations — still apply the same way they would to any other sale.
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