How much money do we actually walk away with when we sell?
The sale price minus five buckets — and knowing them ahead of time is the difference between a closing and a surprise. The buckets: your mortgage payoff, which runs a touch higher than the statement because of per-diem interest. Agent compensation, as negotiated in your listing. Minnesota's deed tax plus title and closing fees. Any concessions or repairs the buyer's inspection turns up. And your prorated share of the year's property taxes.
For planning — not a quote — total selling costs typically land in the mid-to-high single digits as a percent of price once everything's counted. The exact number is knowable before you list, not after. I build a net sheet for every seller at three price points: likely, strong, and soft. Nobody should learn their walk-away number at the closing table.
That number — not the sale price — is what your next chapter is built on. Get it first. Decide second.
I wrote this answer, and I stand behind it. I'm Chris Deutsch, a Minneapolis Realtor (MN #20382264). Twenty-five years of walking these neighborhoods, checking basements, and sitting across kitchen tables from people making exactly this call. I re-check every answer and date it — this one was last verified .
If your situation is more specific than the market, that's the one worth talking through. Email me at chris@lakesarearealty.com.