Most sellers in Lancaster County are laser-focused on one number: the sale price. And with the median sale price hitting a record $365,000 in August 2026 — and 50% of homes selling above asking — it’s a great time to be a seller.
But the sale price and what you actually walk away with are two different things. Before you start mentally spending your proceeds, you need to know what you’ll actually net.
This post breaks down every deduction Lancaster County sellers should plan for — and walks through a real example so you can see where your number lands.
The Variable Nobody Plans For: Your Mortgage Payoff
The single biggest factor in your net proceeds isn’t any fee — it’s how much you still owe on your mortgage.
Your mortgage payoff is the current balance on your loan plus any prepayment penalties (rare in Pennsylvania) and accrued interest through the settlement date. When you sell, your title company wires that payoff directly to your lender before a single dollar reaches you.
The good news for most Lancaster County sellers: home values have climbed significantly over the past five years. If you bought in 2018, 2019, or even 2021, you likely have more equity than you realize — and that equity is what becomes your net proceeds after the payoff.
If you’re unsure what your payoff balance is, your most recent mortgage statement gives you the outstanding principal, though the exact payoff figure (including accrued interest) is requested from your lender and is valid for a specific date. Your title company handles this at settlement.
Everything a Lancaster County Seller Pays at Settlement
Beyond the mortgage payoff, here are the cost categories every Lancaster seller should build into their estimate.
Agent Commission
Commission is typically your largest closing cost. You negotiate your listing agent’s fee directly — in today’s Lancaster market, that commonly runs 2.5%–3% of the sale price.
The 2024 NAR settlement changed how buyer’s agent compensation works. Sellers are no longer required to offer buyer’s agent compensation through the MLS, but many still do — or buyers request it as part of their offer terms. When a seller agrees to cover the buyer’s agent fee (often through a seller concession), it’s common to see the combined commissions total around 5%–6%. Every negotiation is different, and a knowledgeable local agent can help you think through what makes sense for your situation. For a detailed look at how seller concessions work in Lancaster County, see What Closing Costs Do Sellers Pay in Lancaster County?
Pennsylvania Realty Transfer Tax
Pennsylvania’s realty transfer tax is 2% of the sale price — and it’s customarily split 50/50 between buyer and seller. That means sellers typically pay 1% of the sale price. On a $400,000 home, your share is $4,000. The 2% total covers a 1% state tax plus a local component (municipality and school district). This split is standard practice in Lancaster County, though it can technically be negotiated in the agreement of sale.
Title and Settlement Fees
In Pennsylvania, closings are called settlements and are handled by a title company. The fees you’ll see on your settlement statement include:
- Title search and examination — the company verifies clear title to your property
- Settlement (closing) fee — the cost of the settlement agent coordinating the transaction
- Owner’s title insurance — sometimes paid by the seller, sometimes by the buyer, depending on what’s negotiated in the agreement of sale
- Recording fees — paid to the county recorder of deeds to record the deed transfer
Total title and settlement costs for sellers typically run $1,500–$3,000 in Lancaster County, depending on the sale price and which fees are allocated to the seller in the agreement.
Prorated Property Taxes
Lancaster County property taxes are paid in arrears in Pennsylvania, which means at settlement, you’ll owe taxes for the portion of the year you owned the home but haven’t yet paid. Your title company calculates this proration and deducts it from your proceeds at settlement, with the credit going to the buyer to cover their tax bill when it comes due. Depending on when in the year you settle, this can add $1,000–$3,500 to your total costs.
Note: With the Lancaster County property reassessment affecting 2027 tax bills, sellers settling in 2026 should pay attention to how the prorations are calculated — and ask your agent or title company to walk through the numbers.
Seller Concessions (If Any)
In today’s market, some sellers offer buyers a credit toward closing costs or a rate buydown as part of the deal. If you’re offering a concession — whether proactively or in response to a buyer’s request — it comes directly out of your proceeds at settlement. Lancaster County’s strong seller’s market means most sellers aren’t giving large concessions right now, but it’s worth knowing how it factors into your net.
Pre-Listing Repairs and Prep Costs
These don’t appear on your settlement statement, but they reduce your overall net just the same. If you repaint, fix the deck, replace the furnace, or pay for professional staging before you list, those costs come out of your pocket before settlement day. Plan them into your full picture — not just your settlement-day math.
A Real Net Sheet Example for a Lancaster County Home
Let’s put the numbers together on a concrete example. Here’s what a seller’s net sheet might look like on a $400,000 sale in Lancaster County:
- Sale price: $400,000
- Mortgage payoff: −$215,000
- Listing agent commission (2.75%): −$11,000
- Buyer’s agent compensation (if offered, 2.75%): −$11,000
- PA realty transfer tax (seller’s 1%): −$4,000
- Title and settlement fees: −$2,200
- Prorated property taxes: −$1,800
- Pre-listing repairs/prep: −$3,000
- Estimated net proceeds: ~$152,000
Now here’s the same sale with no mortgage:
- Sale price: $400,000
- Mortgage payoff: $0
- Listing agent commission (2.75%): −$11,000
- Buyer’s agent compensation (if offered, 2.75%): −$11,000
- PA realty transfer tax (seller’s 1%): −$4,000
- Title and settlement fees: −$2,200
- Prorated property taxes: −$1,800
- Estimated net proceeds: ~$370,000
As you can see, the mortgage payoff is the dominant variable. Everything else is more predictable — and a good agent can estimate it precisely for your home and timeline.
Want to run your own numbers? Use the Lancaster home sale calculator to get a quick estimate based on your expected sale price and mortgage balance.
What Can Shift Your Number
Your net is never exactly what a calculator spits out. Here’s what can move it up or down in a real transaction:
- Final sale price vs. list price. In Lancaster County, homes are selling at 102.6% of list price on average — meaning a well-priced home often nets more than the initial estimate.
- Commission structure. What you negotiate with your listing agent and what (if anything) you offer toward buyer’s agent compensation significantly affects your bottom line.
- Concessions. If the buyer asks for repairs, a price reduction, or closing cost credits after inspection, your net decreases accordingly. Understanding how pricing your home correctly from the start reduces the chance of post-inspection renegotiation.
- Tax implications. If you’ve owned and lived in the home for fewer than 2 of the last 5 years, or if your gain exceeds the Section 121 exclusion limits, you may owe federal and/or Pennsylvania income tax on the profit. See Do Pennsylvania Home Sellers Owe Capital Gains Tax? for a full breakdown.
- Outstanding liens or judgments. Any liens against your property — mechanics liens, tax liens, HOA judgments — must be satisfied at settlement before you receive proceeds.
Every situation is different. The only way to get your real number — accounting for your specific mortgage, your home’s condition, the current market value, and the negotiation dynamics — is to sit down with an agent who knows this market and run it together.
This is exactly the conversation I have with every seller before we talk about listing. Knowing your net helps you decide whether to sell, what price to accept, and how to evaluate competing offers side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of a home sale do sellers keep in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, sellers typically net 91–93% of the sale price before mortgage payoff. Total seller-side costs usually run 7–9% of the sale price, covering agent commission, PA realty transfer tax (seller’s ~1% share), title and settlement fees, and prorated property taxes. Your mortgage payoff is then subtracted from those net proceeds to arrive at your actual cash at settlement.
Who pays the realty transfer tax in Pennsylvania — buyer or seller?
Pennsylvania’s realty transfer tax is 2% total and is customarily split 50/50, with the buyer and seller each paying 1%. The combined 2% includes a 1% state tax plus a local tax (municipality and school district combined). In Lancaster County, the split is standard practice, though it is technically negotiable between the parties in the agreement of sale.
Do I owe capital gains tax when I sell my house in Pennsylvania?
Most homeowners who’ve lived in their home for at least 2 of the last 5 years qualify for the federal Section 121 exclusion — up to $250,000 in gains for single filers, $500,000 for married couples filing jointly. Pennsylvania has its own income tax rules that differ from federal: PA taxes net gains at a 3.07% flat rate but applies its own separate 2-of-5-year residency test. If you’re selling and have significant appreciation, consult a CPA to understand both your federal and PA tax exposure.
What is a seller’s net sheet and how do I get one?
A seller’s net sheet is a document that converts a sale price into your estimated bottom-line proceeds by subtracting every deduction — mortgage payoff, commission, realty transfer tax, settlement fees, prorated taxes, and any seller concessions or credits. It lets you compare different offers side-by-side in terms of what you’ll actually walk away with. Any experienced listing agent can prepare one; so can a title company. In Lancaster County, I run a net sheet for every client before we ever list.
Are agent commissions negotiable in Pennsylvania after the NAR settlement?
Yes — and this is important for Lancaster sellers to understand in 2026. The 2024 NAR settlement changed how buyer’s agent compensation works. Sellers no longer have to offer buyer’s agent compensation through the MLS, though many still do to attract more buyers. Your listing commission is negotiated directly with your agent. Buyers may ask sellers to cover their agent’s fee as part of an offer through a seller concession. Every deal is different, and understanding how this plays out in your specific negotiation is something a knowledgeable local agent can walk you through.
The bottom line: selling your Lancaster County home in today’s market puts you in a strong position. Record prices, fast sales, and motivated buyers are all in your favor. But “strong position” only matters if you know what you’re actually walking away with.
Run the numbers before you list — not after. If you want a personalized seller’s net sheet for your home, I’m happy to put one together. Reach out any time and we’ll walk through it together.
About Craig Hartranft
Craig Hartranft is a top-ranked Lancaster County REALTOR® and Founder of The Craig Hartranft Team, Berkshire Hathaway’s #1 real estate team in Lancaster County, with 460 homes sold and $195M+ in sales in 2025, plus over 1,400 five-star reviews across Google and Zillow.