Before you list your Sterling home, look at the net sheet

The typical home in Sterling’s 20164 ZIP code is worth $586,416, by Zillow’s count. That is the number most sellers have in mind when they call me, and it is not the number that reaches their bank account. So before anyone signs a listing agreement with me, I put a net sheet in front of them: the price at the top, every cost that comes out of it, and what is left at the bottom.

I have sold 17 homes in Sterling, and the net sheet starts the same conversation every time. Here is what goes on it in Loudoun County.

Three charges when the deed is recorded

Virginia law puts three charges on the seller when the deed is recorded:

• the state grantor’s tax, 50 cents for every $500 of the price;
• the regional congestion relief fee, 10 cents for every $100;
• the regional WMATA capital fee, also 10 cents for every $100.

Together that is about $3 for every $1,000 of the price. On a $586,416 sale it comes to about $1,760, before anything else has come out.

The settlement costs

The settlement company charges the seller a fee of its own, usually $450 to $600 in Northern Virginia. An attorney prepares the new deed for about $150. If you have a mortgage, the payoff comes out of the proceeds, and recording the release of the lender’s lien costs about $33. Those three vary from one settlement company to the next, so I carry them as estimates until we have the real quote.

The prorations

Real estate taxes and any HOA or condo dues are split at the closing date. If you have paid ahead, the difference comes back to you. If a bill is still open, your share of it comes out. They are small next to the price, and they are the lines people forget.

What you agree to pay the agents

This is the line you negotiate, so it belongs on the sheet before you sign anything, in dollars and not only as a percentage. A fee that sounds small as a percentage can be the biggest number on the page after the payoff.

Why the net sheet comes before the price

A seller choosing between two list prices can see what each one would leave them. A seller deciding whether to replace the carpet or paint first can see whether the work is likely to come back in the price, or only in the time the house sits. The price itself comes from the homes that sold near yours, and I go through those with you one by one, including the ones that sold for less than their owners hoped.

You can run your own numbers on my net sheet, which carries the same Loudoun charges. If you would rather go through it together, I am glad to. You can reach me at 571-496-9009.

Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI, the typical home value), August 2026. The three deed charges are set by Virginia law (Va. Code sections 58.1-802, 58.1-802.3 and 58.1-802.4); the settlement figures are estimates, as my net sheet’s fee schedule carried them when last checked, July 6, 2026.