Seller Closing Costs in Centennial: What You'll Actually Net

How much will I net after closing costs when I sell my Centennial home?

Your Centennial net is the price minus your payoff, seller closing costs, a property tax credit to the buyer, and negotiated compensation. The tax credit is the line many sellers don't see coming.

For example, say you close on your Centennial home on Friday, October 30, 2026. You paid your 2025 property tax bill this spring. At the closing table, you'll still give the buyer a credit for roughly 10 months of 2026 taxes. Arapahoe County bills in arrears, so the 2026 bill doesn't arrive until next year, and the buyer will be the one paying it.

That credit surprises sellers because it feels like paying taxes twice in one year. What you're paying is your share of the months you owned the home, settled at closing. On an assumed $4,000 annual tax bill, it's more than $3,300 off your proceeds.

This post walks through every line on a Centennial seller's net sheet, shows a worked example on a $650,000 sale, and points you to the rules behind each number.

Start With the Big Subtractions

Two items take the largest bites out of your sale price. Neither one is a fee in the usual sense.

Your Mortgage Payoff

Your payoff is usually more than the balance on your last statement. Interest keeps adding up daily until the loan is paid off at closing. Ask your loan servicer for a written payoff statement good through your closing date.

If you have a home equity line or a second loan, it gets paid off at closing too. Each one needs its own payoff figure.

Brokerage Compensation

Brokerage compensation is fully negotiable. It's set in your listing agreement, and any compensation for the buyer's brokerage is addressed in Section 29 of the Colorado contract. There's no standard rate, so this post shows it only as a placeholder line. Your actual number is whatever you negotiate.

The Colorado Closing Costs on Your Side of the Table

Owner's Title Insurance Policy

The owner's title policy protects the buyer against title problems from before the sale. Under Section 8.1 of the Colorado Real Estate Commission's Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), for use on or after January 1, 2026, the parties check a box. Under Section 8.1.1, the seller selects the title company and pays for the owner's policy. Under Section 8.1.2, the buyer does both.

In practice, the payer is whatever your contract says. The Colorado Division of Real Estate puts it the same way: the contract sets who pays for the owner's policy, and the premium is a one-time charge at closing. Premiums depend on the price and the company, so get an actual quote for your sale.

Colorado Documentary Fee

Colorado charges a state documentary fee when a deed is recorded. Under C.R.S. 39-13-102, the rate is one cent for each $100 of consideration, and no fee applies when consideration is $500 or less. On a $650,000 sale, that's $65.

The statute places the fee on the person offering the deed for recording. Check your closing statement to see whose column it lands in on your sale.

Arapahoe County Property Tax Proration

Colorado property taxes are paid a year behind. The Arapahoe County Treasurer's 2026 tax statement insert describes the postcard as the invoice for "2025 property taxes due in 2026," with the first half due March 2 and the second half due June 15, 2026.

That's why a Centennial seller gives the buyer a credit. Section 16.1.1 of the 2026 contract prorates taxes for the year of closing using the taxes for the calendar year immediately preceding closing as one checkbox option. You're covering January 1 through your closing date. The buyer pays the full bill when it arrives.

HOA Status Letter and Transfer Fees

If your Centennial home is in an HOA, the association issues a status letter showing dues and any balances. Section 15.3.1 of the 2026 contract says any fee for the status letter must be paid by the seller. A record change fee is assigned by checkbox in Section 15.3.2: buyer, seller, split, or N/A.

These fees vary by association and by management company. Some neighborhoods charge little. Others add a transfer or working capital fee. Ask your HOA or its manager for the current schedule before you list.

Closing Fee and Concessions

The closing company charges a fee to run the closing, and the contract sets how it's divided. If you agree to a seller concession, such as a credit toward the buyer's closing costs or repairs, it comes straight off your proceeds. Keep it on the net sheet from the first offer.

A Worked Net Sheet Example for Centennial

This is an example only. Every figure below is a round, assumed number chosen to show the math. None of it is a quote, an estimate for your home, or a typical cost.

Change any assumption and the bottom line moves. The two lines that swing most are the payoff and the compensation you negotiate.

Run Your Own Numbers Before You List

A net sheet is most useful before you pick a list price. It tells you what a given offer puts in your account, which makes it easier to compare a higher offer that asks for a concession against a lower one that doesn't.

Jamie Bridges, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty DTC, works with sellers across Centennial, Arapahoe County, and the rest of the South Denver Metro, from Willow Creek and Piney Creek to the neighborhoods around Southglenn. He holds the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation and builds a line-by-line net sheet like the one above, using your payoff, your HOA, and your actual tax bill.

Capital gains are a separate question from closing costs. IRS Topic 701 covers the home sale exclusion, and your CPA can tell you how it applies to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who pays for title insurance in Colorado? The contract decides. Section 8.1 of the Colorado Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential) has the parties check whether the seller or the buyer selects the title company and pays for the owner's policy. Read the box that's checked in your contract.

What is the Colorado documentary fee? It's a state fee charged when a deed is recorded, set by C.R.S. 39-13-102 at one cent per $100 of consideration. On a $650,000 sale, it's $65.

Do I pay property taxes at closing when I sell in Arapahoe County? You usually give the buyer a credit. Arapahoe County taxes are paid in arrears, so 2025 taxes are due in 2026, and the contract prorates the current year's taxes through your closing date.

If you're thinking about selling in Centennial or anywhere in Arapahoe County, a net sheet with your own numbers is a good first step. Jamie Bridges is a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty DTC serving the Denver Metro Area and Summit County, Colorado. Call or text Jamie at 720-397-7555 to talk about your next move.

Sources: Colorado Real Estate Commission Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), for use on or after January 1, 2026, Sections 8.1, 15.3, 16.1.1, and 29, via the Colorado Division of Real Estate, accessed October 23, 2026; Colorado Division of Real Estate, "Title Insurance: What Is It and Why Is It Used?", July 6, 2021; C.R.S. 39-13-102, accessed October 23, 2026; Arapahoe County Treasurer, 2026 property tax statement insert (2025 taxes due in 2026); IRS Topic 701, accessed October 23, 2026. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. General information only. This isn't legal or tax advice. Net sheet figures are examples only.