Compare the money you’d keep and the terms you’d accept. A higher offer can leave less money after costs. Use this calculator with your written offers and cost estimates, then check the buyer’s deadlines and conditions. Leave unknown amounts blank until you have an answer.
Compare the money from each offer
Fill in all three boxes for each offer. Enter 0 only when you know a cost does not apply. If an amount is unknown, leave it blank and ask the buyer or closing team.
- Offer price: what the buyer offers to pay.
- Your selling costs: fees and other sale costs that you pay.
- Debts paid from the sale: loans or other balances taken out of the price.
The result is a rough amount before income taxes and any costs you leave out. Your entries stay on this page. They aren’t sent with the contact form or saved when you leave.
To do the math by hand, subtract selling costs from the price. Then subtract debts paid from the sale. Keep the cost estimate beside your result.
A higher price can leave the same money
Here’s a made-up comparison, not expected prices or fees for your sale.
- Offer A: $50,000 price, minus $2,000 selling costs, minus $5,000 loan payoff. You keep about $43,000.
- Offer B: $48,000 price, no seller costs in this example, minus the same $5,000 payoff. You also keep about $43,000.
Those offers have different prices but the same result. Now compare the dates, buyer checks and cancellation terms. The money alone doesn’t tell you which deal fits your plans.
Keep uncertain estimates visible
Ask which amounts are firm and which may change. Don’t use a guessed zero just to get a result. Keep a short list of the missing amounts and who can answer each question.
If selling costs could be $1,000 to $3,000, try both amounts and save a note of each result. That is your comparison range, not a promise of the final payment. Replace the estimate when you get a clearer written amount.
A useful note is: “The price is written. I still need the closing-cost estimate.” If two results are close, an unanswered fee could change which offer leaves more money.
Count each cost once
Ask for a list that separates fees from debts. If a total already includes your loan payoff, don’t subtract that payoff again in the debt box.
For example, subtracting the same $5,000 loan twice would make the money you keep look $5,000 too low. Use the same method for both offers.
If the result has a minus sign, the costs and debts you entered are more than the price. Check the entries, then ask the closing team to explain the possible shortfall. Don’t treat a negative result as money the buyer will automatically cover.
Put the deal terms beside the numbers
Use the same questions for both written offers:
- Do both cover the same land or group of tracts?
- What does the buyer still need to check?
- Does payment depend on a loan, another sale or finding another buyer?
- Who pays each fee, and which amounts are estimates?
- What is the target closing date, and what could change it?
- When can the buyer cancel, change the price or ask for more time?
- Who handles closing, and what happens to the deposit if the sale ends?
Have a local professional explain wording you don’t understand. A suggested asking price is different from a written offer to buy. Compare a real proposal with its actual terms, rather than treating a hoped-for listing price as an offer.
Choose based on the money and your needs
If one offer leaves more money, ask what you must accept to get it. A long review period may be fine for one seller and a poor fit for another. Write down the tradeoff in plain words.
Try: “Offer A leaves more money, but the buyer can cancel during a longer review. I need to ask what checks remain.” That note gives you a next step.
Use our land sale agreement guide for more questions. You can compare a direct buyer, an agent listing and selling yourself. The actual costs and work matter with each choice.
If you’d like an offer from Reelvest to compare, tell us about your land. Start with the location and what you know. You decide whether any proposed deal fits.
Seller Questions
What if I don’t know a cost yet?
Leave it blank and ask for a written estimate. Use 0 only when you know the cost does not apply. Keep uncertain amounts beside the comparison so they don’t disappear.
Does this calculator tell me what my land is worth?
No. It subtracts the costs and debts you enter from each offer price. It does not value your land or predict a sale price.
Why could a lower price leave the same money?
A lower offer may come with lower seller costs. Use the actual written costs for both offers, and count every cost or payoff only once.
Does the result include income tax?
No. It is a rough amount before income taxes and costs you leave out. Ask a tax professional about your own sale rather than treating the result as a final after-tax payment.
Local source links reviewed October 5, 2026.