What will you actually keep when you sell?
Your walkaway is the sale price minus your mortgage payoff, the selling costs (commission, the Barnstable County deed stamps at $6.48 per $1,000, attorney and title) and any capital gains tax. For many longtime Cape owners, the tax is the surprise. Enter your own numbers below; nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
Estimate only, using 2026 federal and Massachusetts rates. Not tax, legal or financial advice. Check your own numbers with your CPA or attorney.
How your walkaway is figured
- Selling costs come off first. Commission (whatever you agree with your agent), the Massachusetts deed excise, which in Barnstable County is $6.48 per $1,000 of the price ($3.42 state plus $3.06 county), and attorney and title fees.
- Your gain is the price after selling costs, minus your cost basis. Your basis is what you paid plus capital improvements. For an inherited home it is the value on the date of death.
- The primary-home exclusion removes up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for a married couple) if you owned the home and lived in it for at least 2 of the last 5 years. Second homes get no exclusion.
- Federal tax on the rest is 0%, 15% or 20% depending on your total income, plus the 3.8% net investment income tax above $250,000 of income ($200,000 single).
- Massachusetts taxes long-term capital gains at 5%, plus a 4% surtax on income above $1,107,750 in 2026.
The 2026 numbers this page uses
| Item | 2026 figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal 0% capital gains rate up to (taxable income) | $98,900 married jointly · $49,450 single | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 |
| Federal 15% rate up to; 20% above | $613,700 married jointly · $545,500 single | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 |
| Net investment income tax | 3.8% above $250,000 married jointly · $200,000 single | IRS Topic 559 |
| Home sale exclusion (primary home) | $500,000 married jointly · $250,000 single | IRS Publication 523 |
| Massachusetts long-term capital gains | 5%, plus 4% surtax on income over $1,107,750 | Mass. DOR tax rates |
| Barnstable County deed excise | $6.48 per $1,000 ($3.42 state + $3.06 county) | Barnstable Registry of Deeds |
| Starting sale price | $846,000 median sold price, five Lower Cape towns | Cape Cod & Islands MLS, Brewster, Chatham, Harwich, Orleans and Eastham, Sept 2023 – Sept 2026, n=2,409 |
Figures last checked 19 October 2026. The tool assumes you owned the home more than a year. It does not handle depreciation recapture, "nonqualified use" periods, partial exclusions or the surviving-spouse rules; your CPA can.
Three situations that change the answer
Second homes. There is no exclusion, so all of the gain above your basis is taxable. On a Cape house bought decades ago, that can be a large share of the profit.
Inherited homes. The basis usually "steps up" to the value on the date of death, which often leaves little or no taxable gain if you sell soon after.
Rented or business use. Depreciation you claimed, or could have claimed, is taxed separately (up to 25% federally) and isn't covered by the exclusion. This tool flags it but does not calculate it.
Want your real number?
Your walkaway depends on today's sales near your home and your exact basis. Arthur will put your numbers together with you.