Buying a home in Sacramento County

Confirm the city boundary before estimating closing costs

Start with the exact property address and assessor’s parcel number. If the home is within the City of Sacramento, ask escrow whether the city’s additional real property transfer tax applies. The city lists a rate of $2.75 per $1,000 of consideration on nonexempt transfers. The buyer and seller can agree in escrow who pays it. A Sacramento mailing address alone is insufficient to establish city jurisdiction.

On a hypothetical $550,000 purchase subject to the city tax, that line item would be $1,512.50. If the contract assigns half to the buyer, the buyer’s share would be $756.25. Ask escrow to show that share separately from other applicable charges.

Look at the parcel’s direct levies and supplemental bills

Sacramento County’s e-PropTax tool uses a 14-digit assessor’s parcel number. Review the annual bill and its direct levies, which can include charges for local services or district financing. Ask which charges recur and how to estimate taxes after reassessment. Check separately for supplemental tax bills and confirm whether your servicer will pay them through escrow.

Before writing an offer, collect the parcel number, current bill, and proposed transfer-tax allocation. Use the Sacramento cash-to-close worksheet to add the down payment, loan and settlement charges, prepaids, and credits. Use the California supplemental tax guide for the after-closing budget.

Sources

City of Sacramento real property transfer tax, Sacramento County direct levies, and Sacramento County supplemental tax lookup.