What will you actually walk away with?
On a $550,000 house in Southwest Riverside County, listing with an agent nets about $442,500 after $60,000 in repairs, 5.5% commission, closing costs, and 3 months of holding costs. Selling the same house as-is for cash typically comes in between $385,000 and $467,500, with none of those costs.
The sale price is not the check you take home. Between getting the house list-ready, agent commission, seller closing costs, and every month of mortgage, taxes, and utilities while you wait for a buyer, the number shrinks fast. Here is the full math on both paths, then run it on your own house.
The math on a $550,000 house
A worked example using this market's typical costs, needing $60,000 of work to be list-ready.
| Cost of selling | List with an agent | Sell as-is for cash |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price / offer | $550,000 | $385,000 to $467,500 |
| Repairs to get list-ready | −$60,000 | $0 |
| Agent commission (5.5%) | −$30,250 | $0 |
| Seller closing costs (1.5%) | −$8,250 | $0 |
| Holding costs (3 months × $3,000) | −$9,000 | $0 |
| Time to close | ≈89 days | as little as 7 days |
| Estimated net before mortgage payoff | $442,500 | $385,000 to $467,500 |
Neither column subtracts what you still owe on the house. Assumptions last reviewed July 2026.
Run your own numbers
List with an agent
- Sale price (your estimate)
- Repairs to get list-ready
- Agent commission (5.5%)
- Seller closing costs
- Holding costs ( mo × )
Sell as-is for cash
- Repairs
- $0
- Commission
- $0
- Months of holding costs
- $0
This is an estimate, not an offer. Get your real number in 24 hours.
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How this calculator works
The listing side itemizes the four costs sellers most often forget: repairs to get the house market-ready, agent commission of about 5.5% of the sale price, seller-paid closing costs of roughly 1.5% (escrow, title, transfer taxes), and holding costs, which are the mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and utilities you keep paying every month between deciding to sell and handing over the keys, budgeted here at $3,000 a month. In Southwest Riverside County that wait typically runs about 3 months from prep to close.
The cash side shows a typical range, not a promise: 70% to 85% of the home's as-is value. Cash buyers pay for speed and certainty by buying below retail, but with zero repairs, zero commission, and zero months of holding costs, the gap between the two paths is almost always smaller than sellers expect. Sometimes it disappears entirely.
Every figure here is an estimate based on typical local costs, not an offer or a valuation of your property. Your real number takes about a minute to request and arrives within 24 hours.
Common questions
How much less does a cash buyer pay than listing on the MLS?
How much less does a cash buyer pay than listing on the MLS?
A cash offer usually comes in between 70% and 85% of what the house is worth as-is. On a $550,000 house that is roughly $385,000 to $467,500. The gap is smaller than it looks once you subtract what listing costs you: 5.5% commission, 1.5% seller closing costs, repairs, and 3 months of holding costs. Sometimes it closes entirely. Sometimes listing still wins, and the calculator will show you that.
Do I pay commission or closing costs on a cash sale?
Do I pay commission or closing costs on a cash sale?
No agent commission, no seller-paid closing costs, and no repair credits, because you sell the house as-is, in the condition it is in today. That is the whole reason a lower headline price can still leave you with more money than a listing.
Should I make repairs before I sell?
Should I make repairs before I sell?
It depends on which repairs. Cosmetic work like paint, flooring, and landscaping usually returns more than it costs if you have the cash upfront and the weeks to manage it. Big structural items like a roof or foundation rarely return their full cost, and a lender can force them to be fixed before a financed buyer can close at all. Our repair cost estimator gives you the ranges before you decide.
How fast can each option close?
How fast can each option close?
A cash sale can close in as little as 7 days because there is no lender, no appraisal, and no repair contingency. A listing runs closer to 89 days end to end in this market: about 14 days of prep, 40 days on the market, and 35 days in escrow. You pick the closing date on the cash side.
Is a cash offer ever the wrong choice?
Is a cash offer ever the wrong choice?
Yes. If the house is already market-ready and you are not under time pressure, listing it usually nets more money, and that is what the numbers above are for. Damian works both sides: if listing is the better answer for your house, he can sell it on the MLS or off-market instead of buying it.
Does this include what I still owe on my mortgage?
Does this include what I still owe on my mortgage?
No. Both columns show proceeds before your loan payoff. Whatever you still owe is paid out of those proceeds at closing, so subtract your current balance from either number to see what actually reaches your bank account.
Are these numbers a guarantee?
Are these numbers a guarantee?
No. They are typical ranges for Southwest Riverside County, last reviewed July 2026, and they are estimates rather than an offer or an appraisal. Confirm repair figures with a licensed contractor, and get your real number, which takes about a minute to request and arrives within 24 hours.