Los Angeles real estate.
“Los Angeles” to a Manhattan buyer means a dozen separate cities — and the transfer-tax math changes dramatically across municipal lines. Inside City of LA proper, Measure ULA layers a 4–5.5% cliff at $5.3M / $10.6M (rising to $5.4M / $10.9M effective July 1, 2026). Inside Santa Monica, Measure GS hits 5.6% on $8M+ sales. Inside Culver City, Measure RE tiers to 4% at $10M+. Inside Beverly Hills, none of these apply — just LA County’s 0.11%. The municipal stack is the entire story; the calculator handles it.
LA closing cost calculators.
LA Buyer Closing Cost Calculator
The LA buyer side is unusually light — Southern California custom puts the dominant transfer-tax burden (including any Measure ULA exposure) on the seller, and the owner’s title policy is customarily seller-paid. Buyer carries recording, escrow (half), inspection, and lender items.
LA Seller Closing Cost Calculator
The full transfer-tax stack — LA County (0.11%) + the applicable municipal layer (City of LA + Measure ULA, Santa Monica + Measure GS, Culver City + Measure RE, etc.) — plus broker commission, owner’s title (seller-paid by So Cal custom), escrow, HOA fees.
The LA municipal patchwork.
Measure ULA — the City of LA “mansion tax”
Voter-approved Nov 2022, effective April 2023. LA Municipal Code §21.9.2. Applies to residential transfers within City of LA limits at two cliffs:
- 4% on the entire sale price for transfers between $5.3M and $10.6M (current threshold; rises to $5.4M effective July 1, 2026)
- 5.5% on the entire sale price for transfers ≥ $10.6M (rises to $10.9M effective July 1, 2026)
The cliff is total — a $5.31M sale pays $212,400 in Measure ULA; a $5.29M sale pays $0. The pricing strategy at the cliff edge is one of the most consequential calls on a City of LA listing. Seller-paid by CA custom.
The other municipal layers
Santa Monica Measure GS: 5.6% on residential transfers ≥ $8M, on the entire price. One of the single highest-rate transfer taxes in the country at the trophy tier. Below $8M, Santa Monica applies 0.3% (under $5M) or 0.6% ($5M–$8M).
Culver City Measure RE: tiered cliffs at 0.45% / 1.5% / 3.0% / 4.0% — each rate applied to the entire price at $1.5M / $3M / $10M boundaries. The tier-boundary cliffs matter — a $9.95M Culver City sale costs 3.0% in city transfer tax; a $10.01M sale costs 4.0%.
City of LA base: 0.45% applies to every City of LA transfer regardless of price, separate from Measure ULA.
West Hollywood: 0.45% city transfer tax. No Measure ULA equivalent.
Beverly Hills, Malibu, unincorporated LA County: just LA County’s 0.11% applies. No additional municipal transfer tax. Beverly Hills is the trophy-tier escape from Measure ULA — a $20M Beverly Hills sale carries ~$22K in transfer tax versus ~$1.1M in transfer tax on the same dollar amount inside City of LA limits.
The California closing custom
- Transfer taxes: SELLER-PAID by Southern California custom
- Owner’s title insurance: SELLER-PAID (Southern CA; opposite of NorCal)
- Escrow: typically split 50/50
- Recording (deed): buyer-paid
- Recording (release of mortgage): seller-paid
- No state income tax withholding equivalent to CT’s 10%
Considering an LA transaction?
For Manhattan clients on either side of an LA transaction — the Brentwood estate sale, the Bel-Air acquisition, the Malibu second home — the planning conversation usually centers on municipal selection (which side of the city line are you on?), Measure ULA cliff strategy, and the trans-state structuring posture (NY ↔ CA residency math). A 30-minute consultation gets you the framework.
The Roebling Team at Compass executes transactions directly in Manhattan. For Los Angeles buyers and sellers, we collaborate with Compass agents in Los Angeles via referral — clients work with the best on-the-ground representation while keeping the analytical framework consistent across markets. This calculator is an informational research tool, not solicitation of representation.
For trans-market clients (Manhattan + Los Angeles portfolios) or to discuss your specific transaction, schedule a consultation. Where appropriate, we’ll introduce you to a vetted Compass agent in the local market.