Home value
Two things you actually need. What it would sell for, and what you would walk away with. Here is both.
There is no button on the internet that knows what your house is worth. Automated estimates run off public records and recent nearby sales. They cannot see that you replaced the roof in 2023, that your lanai faces a preserve instead of a parking lot, or that the comparable sale two streets over was a distressed deal that closed $70,000 under market.
In Southwest Florida they miss something else. Two homes half a mile apart can carry completely different HOA dues, and one of them might sit inside a CDD with an assessment on the tax bill. That gap does not show up in an automated model, but it absolutely shows up in what a buyer will pay.
Use the number you find online as a starting point. Then get a real one.
Seller net sheet
This does not guess your home's value. You tell it a sale price, it does the arithmetic on what selling costs in Southwest Florida so you can see the net.
Estimate only, for planning. Doc stamps are calculated at Florida's statutory 70 cents per $100 of sale price, which applies in every county except Miami-Dade. Title and settlement figures are typical ranges, not quotes. Who pays the owner's title policy is county custom and is negotiable in the contract. This does not include your HOA estoppel fee, any repairs negotiated after inspection, or seller concessions. For a real number on your property, ask me.
I pull the closed sales in your community from the last several months, not the active listings, because what someone is asking is not evidence of anything. Then I adjust for the differences that matter here. Square footage and bedroom count, yes, but also roof age, whether there is a pool and a screen cage, the view, flood zone, and how your HOA and any CDD compare to the comps.
Then I look at what is competing with you right now. If four homes in your community are already listed and sitting, that changes the number regardless of what sold in March.
You get a price I can defend with the sales that support it. If the number is lower than you hoped, I will say so and show you why. Overpricing does not get you more money. It gets you days on market and then a price cut that tells every buyer something is wrong.
Most sellers know about the commission and stop there. The rest of it is worth seeing before you commit to a plan.
Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the deed at 70 cents per each $100 of the sale price. That rate is statutory and applies in every Florida county except Miami-Dade. On a $650,000 sale that is $4,550, and it is easy to forget until it shows up on the settlement statement.
Title is where the county matters. In Lee County, which covers Bonita Springs, Estero, and Fort Myers, the seller customarily pays for the owner's title insurance policy. In Collier County, which covers Naples and Marco Island, the buyer customarily pays. It is custom, not law, and the contract is what actually controls, but it is a real swing in your net and the calculator above accounts for it.
Property taxes in Florida are paid in arrears, so at closing you credit the buyer for the part of the year you owned the home. Close in August and you are covering roughly seven months of the annual bill.
They are a starting point, not an answer. Automated estimates work off public records and recent nearby sales. They cannot see your renovated kitchen, your roof age, your lanai, your view, or the fact that the comparable sale down the street was a distressed deal. In Southwest Florida they also struggle with HOA and CDD differences between communities that sit half a mile apart.
Recent comparable sales in your community, the condition and age of the major systems, and current competing inventory. Not what you paid, not what you owe, and not what the neighbor is asking. I price on real closed sales and tell you the number I actually believe.
The main line items are the real estate commission, Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed at 70 cents per $100 of the sale price, title and settlement charges, and prorated property taxes. Who pays for the owner's title policy varies by county. In Lee County the seller customarily pays. In Collier County the buyer customarily pays. Everything is negotiable and the contract controls.
No. An appraisal is a formal opinion from a licensed appraiser, usually ordered by a lender. What I provide is a comparative market analysis, which is what we use to set a list price. If you need a formal appraisal for an estate, a divorce, or a tax matter, tell me and I will point you to an appraiser.
No. Plenty of people I run numbers for are a year out, or just curious, or end up deciding not to sell. You get the number either way. No pressure, that is not how I work.
The calculator above handles the costs. The value itself takes a person. Send me your address and I will pull the recent comparable sales in your community, look at what is competing with you right now, and give you an honest market value. Usually within a day.
If it is not a good time to sell, I will tell you that too.
Prefer to talk? Call or text me at 239-304-6224.
Tell me what you are after and your timeline. I will tell you honestly what is realistic in today's market.