For Los Angeles home sellers
What it’s worth, what you’ll net, and how we get there
Most sellers get handed a price. The number that actually matters is what lands in your account after commissions, costs, and payoff. We start there, then build the pricing and marketing plan backward from it.
What you get before you commit to anything
- A valuation based on live buyer behavior, not just closed comps
- A written net sheet — your proceeds after every cost
- A prep list ranked by what actually returns money
- A marketing plan with dates, not adjectives
This page is for you if…
You don’t have to be ready to list. Most of the sellers I work with start six to twelve months out.
- You’re curious what it’s worth and tired of automated estimates
- You’re moving out of state or downsizing and need the timing to work
- You inherited a property and aren’t sure what to do with it
- You listed before with someone else and it didn’t sell
- You want to know the true cost of selling before you decide
- You’re weighing selling against renting it out
How I work
The net sheet comes first
A high list price is easy to promise and expensive to be wrong about. I’d rather show you the real arithmetic and then go earn the top of it.
Your number, in writing
Commission, escrow and title, county and any city transfer tax, repairs and credits, and your loan payoff — subtracted from a realistic sale price. You see the bottom line before you sign a listing agreement.
Priced off live demand
Closed comps tell you about three months ago. Showing traffic, saved searches, and what’s currently sitting unsold tell you about right now. Both go into the pricing conversation.
Marketing built for how LA buyers search
Professional photography and video, a listing that looks right on a phone, syndication, and distribution through my own channels — Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — where a huge share of LA buyers are actually looking.
A prep list with a return attached
Paint and landscaping usually pay. A full kitchen remodel before listing usually doesn’t. I’ll walk the house and tell you what to spend money on and, more importantly, what to skip.
The process
From first walk-through to close
Valuation and walk-through
I see the house, you tell me your timeline, and I come back with a range and the reasoning behind it.
Net sheet review
The full cost breakdown and your projected proceeds, so the decision is made on real numbers.
Prep and stage
The ranked repair list, vendors if you need them, and staging where it earns its keep.
Photograph and launch
Photo, video, copy, and a coordinated launch across the MLS, the portals, and social.
Offers and negotiation
Every offer compared on terms and certainty of close, not just headline price. I’ll tell you which buyer I trust.
Escrow to close
Inspections, appraisal, disclosures, and required city reports — tracked so nothing derails the closing date.
Los Angeles specifics
Selling in LA has its own paperwork
The city and county requirements catch first-time sellers off guard. None of them are hard if you start them early.
The 9A Residential Property Report
If your home is inside the City of Los Angeles, you’re required to obtain a Residential Property Report from LADBS and deliver it to the buyer before the sale closes. It lists permits of record and pending special assessments, and unpermitted work shows up here. We order it early so it never becomes a last-minute escrow problem.
Measure ULA probably doesn’t apply to you
The City of LA’s transfer tax kicks in around $5.4 million (4%) and around $10.9 million (5.5%), with thresholds adjusted each year. The vast majority of homes sell well below that. If yours is anywhere near the line, it becomes a central part of pricing strategy and we plan for it deliberately.
Know which city you’re actually in
LA County is a patchwork — Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood and others set their own transfer taxes and point-of-sale requirements, and neighborhood names don’t match city lines. We confirm the jurisdiction for your exact parcel before we build the net sheet.
Retrofit and disclosure items
California and local rules cover things like smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, water conservation fixtures, and seismic gas shutoff valves depending on jurisdiction, plus a substantial disclosure packet. Handled up front they’re routine; discovered in week three of escrow they’re leverage for the buyer.
Straight answers
Seller questions, answered plainly
What’s my home actually worth?
The instant estimate above is a starting point — it can’t see your remodel, your view, or your neighbor’s construction project. A real valuation means walking the property and reading current buyer behavior in your specific pocket of the city. That part is free and comes with no obligation to list.
What does it cost to sell?
The main line items are commission, escrow and title fees, county and any applicable city transfer tax, any repairs or credits you negotiate, plus your loan payoff. Rather than quote you a percentage, I’ll build the actual net sheet for your address so you can see every number.
Should I renovate before selling?
Usually not extensively. Paint, landscaping, deep cleaning, decluttering, and fixing the obviously broken almost always return more than they cost. Major remodels usually don’t — buyers rarely pay full value for someone else’s taste. I’ll give you the ranked list after walking through.
How long will it take?
Prep and photography typically run a couple of weeks before you’re live, and escrow adds several weeks after you’re in contract. Well-priced homes in strong pockets move fast; overpriced ones sit and then sell for less than they would have. Pricing drives the timeline more than anything else.
Do I have to pay the mansion tax?
Only if your sale price exceeds the Measure ULA thresholds within the City of LA — roughly $5.4 million and $10.9 million, adjusted annually. Most sellers never encounter it. If you’re close to the line, we’ll talk strategy carefully and you should also loop in your tax advisor.
Start with the number, not the pitch
Send me your address. You’ll get a valuation, a written net sheet, and an honest read on timing — whether you list this month, next year, or decide not to at all.
Alex Maldonado Miranda · Los Angeles Real Estate · (323) 688-4710 · Contact
Information on this page is general and educational, not legal, tax, or lending advice. Program rules, loan limits, and tax thresholds change — we’ll confirm what applies to your situation before you commit to anything.