How Much Will You Make Selling Your Virginia House?

Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-10-08

Tree-lined sidewalk beside a row of stone and brick houses in Richmond, Virginia — Photo: Dominic Chasse / Unsplash · Reviewed by Joseph Mena, CFO of Cash Flow Deals.

You'll walk away with your sale price minus your mortgage payoff and the costs of the sale. Virginia law sets one of those costs: the grantor's tax, 50 cents for each $500, which you pay as the seller unless your buyer agrees to pay all or part of it. If you'd rather plan around a number before you sell, Cash Flow Deals makes two offers, and you choose: the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. Your Fast Cash Offer includes 15 business days of inspection. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. With Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, settled from the sale proceeds from our share; with Fast Cash, you make no repairs. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. If the buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number.

	List it and pay the costs	Fast Cash Offer	Premium Cash Offer
Who buys	A buyer your listing brings in	Cash Flow Deals buys the house as-is	A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you
Your number	The price a buyer agrees to, minus your costs at closing	Our as-is number	A higher number than the Fast Cash Offer
Listing and showings	Listed, with showings, until a buyer signs	No listing. One walk-through by our team	15 business days of inspection. A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have buys directly from you
Inspection period	Whatever your sales contract sets	15 business days	15 business days
Closing date	Set once a buyer signs a sales contract	45 days or less, on a date you help pick	45 days or less, on a date you help pick
Fees	Commission and costs your listing agreement and sales contract set	No listing commission to Cash Flow Deals	Cash Flow Deals is paid as a separate line item on the closing statement
If financing falls through	The sale may not close, and your contract governs what happens next	Not applicable: we're the buyer	You can still take the Fast Cash Offer

Count From Sold Prices and Your Payoff Statement

Decide which numbers you'll trust before you do any math. Our view: count from what comparable homes in your condition sold for, as-is. An asking price is what a seller hopes for. A sold price is what a buyer paid.

Virginia REALTORS put the statewide median sold price at $449,000 for August 2026, a month with 8,985 closed sales statewide. That's the middle of one month's sales across the whole state. It's not your house.

Then subtract your payoff. That's the amount that pays your mortgage in full as of a set date. Ask your servicer for a payoff statement. In writing. Federal rules require it to be accurate and sent within a reasonable time, and no more than seven business days after your written request, with exceptions such as a loan in bankruptcy or foreclosure.

Pay the Grantor's Tax Yourself, or Ask Your Buyer to Share It

Virginia's grantor's tax is a closing cost the law assigns to you as the seller. It's 50 cents for each $500 of the sale price or the property's value, whichever is greater (Code of Virginia § 58.1-802). For this tax, the Code defines value as your most recent property tax assessment (§ 58.1-801). On a $449,000 sale, with no higher assessment, that's $449.

The statute leaves room to negotiate who pays. It says "the grantor and grantee may arrange for the grantee to pay all or a portion of the tax." So you can ask your buyer to agree to cover part of it, or all of it.

Some areas add regional fees to the same deed, and each statute puts its fee on you as the seller too, with the same option for your buyer to pay all or part. In a county or city that belongs to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, the regional WMATA capital fee is $0.10 per $100 (§ 58.1-802.3). In Planning District 8, a regional congestion relief fee adds $0.10 per $100 (§ 58.1-802.4). In a Hampton Roads transportation district, a regional transportation improvement fee adds $0.06 per $100 (§ 58.1-802.5). On a $449,000 sale, each $0.10 fee is another $449. Ask your settlement agent which of these apply to your property.

Learn Your Net at Signing, or at the Closing Table

If a number you can plan around matters to you, Cash Flow Deals puts the Fast Cash Offer and the Premium Cash Offer in front of you, and you choose. With the Fast Cash Offer, Cash Flow Deals buys your house as-is and closes after one walk-through by our team. With the Premium Cash Offer, a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you.

With Premium, you sign with us at the number you agree to and let us bring that buyer in our place. The buyer signs a new contract directly with you, and their lender funds it. Title transfers once, from you to the buyer, and our fee appears on the closing statement as its own line item.

We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. With Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, settled from the sale proceeds from our share. With Fast Cash, you sell as-is without making repairs. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. That can include foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring or cast-iron drain failure. We disclose what we know at offer time.

The Fast Cash Offer includes 15 business days of inspection. Your existing closing window is 45 days or less, on a date you help pick; review the inspection and closing terms for your chosen offer in your written contract. You can set aside 10 to 15 minutes to review your questions with us.

If the Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours. You can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number, alongside your Premium Cash Offer choice.

Common questions

Where can I see what nearby Virginia homes sold for?

In recorded deeds. Virginia won't record the deed from a sale unless the amount paid is stated on its first page (Code of Virginia § 58.1-802). Deeds are recorded with the clerk of court, so start with the clerk's office for your county or city.

When does the grantor's tax get paid?

Before the deed is recorded. Virginia won't admit the deed to record until the clerk certifies on it that the tax has been paid (Code of Virginia § 58.1-802).

Do I owe federal tax on the gain from my sale?

Not on gain you can exclude. If it's your main home and you meet the IRS ownership and use tests, generally two of the five years before the sale for each, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or up to $500,000 on a joint return with your spouse. Read IRS Publication 523 for the full rules.

Do I have to commit before I see both offers?

No. Neither offer binds you until you and we both sign a written contract, and you can take it to an attorney first. Everyone on the title is welcome to join the call.

Keep reading

What this means for your options

A value estimate is a starting point, not a guaranteed number.

Wait and see

Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.

List with a traditional agent

Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.

Sell to Cash Flow Deals

Two offers for your house, Fast Cash or Premium Cash, and you choose. Cash: Cash Flow Deals buys the house as-is and closes. Premium: More money. A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have buys directly from you.

See your selling options before you decide anything.