True Cost-to-Close Calculator
Estimate the total liquidity needed to buy a US property from abroad, with spent acquisition costs and retained lender reserves shown separately.
For buyers budgeting a purchase from outside the US.
Costs seeded from illustrative Houston assumptions and typical closing figures. FX and reference rates are illustrative, not live quotes, and are confirmed before you send. The modeled FX cost applies to the full amount transferred, including lender reserves when financed.
- Purchase price (all-cash)Full price, paid in cash
$232,990$232,990 - Closing costsTitle, escrow, recording (typically ~1.5-3% of price)
$4,660$4,660 - Inspection & appraisalTypically $800-$1,500
$1,200$1,200 - LLC, EIN & registered agentDara coordinates setup; documentation requirements are confirmed during formation
$1,200$1,200 - First-year insuranceSeeded from the market; confirmed per property
$1,800$1,800 - Property management setupOne-time tenant placement + onboarding, required for remote owners. Ongoing management (a monthly % of rent) is in the Rental ROI tool, not here.
$1,500$1,500 - Moving your money (illustrative FX)Illustrative 0.5% applied to the full amount transferred. Actual pricing is confirmed before funds are sent.
$1,217$1,217
Total liquidity required
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What the numbers mean
- Closing costs
- Title, escrow, and recording fees to transfer the property, typically around 1.5-3% of the price. The tool uses a midpoint.
- LLC, EIN & registered agent
- Many foreign buyers use an LLC for US rental property. Dara coordinates formation, EIN, and first-year registered-agent setup; documentation requirements are confirmed during formation.
- Lender reserves
- When you finance, lenders may require a few months of housing expense to remain available after closing. It is retained liquidity that remains yours, not a fee that gets spent. Cash buyers skip this line.
- Property management setup
- A one-time fee to place your first tenant and onboard the property with a manager, required when you own from abroad, so it counts as cash to get started. The ongoing management fee is a monthly % of rent and lives in the Rental ROI tool.
- FX spread
- The margin baked into an exchange rate when you move money across the border: the cost most buyers never see, and the line most calculators leave out.
A worked example
For an all-cash $250,000 purchase, the cash you actually need is more than the sticker price:
Figures illustrative, confirmed per property. Financing swaps the full price for your down payment and adds lender reserves. Ongoing management is a monthly % of rent. See the Rental ROI tool.
How to read your results
The FX line is the hidden cost
The tool applies an illustrative 0.5% transfer cost to the full amount moved, including retained lender reserves when financed. Actual pricing is confirmed before funds are sent.
Cash vs financed changes the shape
All-cash means the full price plus acquisition costs. Financed means your down payment plus acquisition costs and retained lender reserves. The result separates what is spent from liquidity that remains yours.
Liquidity to close, not ongoing costs
This is total liquidity required at closing. Ongoing costs such as taxes, insurance, management, and maintenance are modeled in the Rental ROI tool.
Common questions
Why hold the property in an LLC?
It's the standard structure for foreign owners of US rental property, for liability and administration. Dara handles the setup: formation, EIN, and first-year registered agent.
Do I need to be in the US to close?
No. The purchase, the LLC, and the money transfer are all handled remotely.
Is the exchange rate live?
No. The FX figures are illustrative, footnoted, and confirmed before you send funds. They show the shape of the cost, not a locked quote.
Does this include my mortgage?
It includes the down payment and modeled lender reserves, but not future monthly payments. Monthly financing is modeled in the DSCR and Rental ROI tools.
Keep going
How this is calculated
What's added up
- Your down payment (if financed) or the full price (if cash), plus closing costs, LLC formation, and the transfer cost.
- Financed scenarios also include lender reserves as retained liquidity. Those funds remain yours; they are not a spent fee.
- Plus the line most calculators leave out: the cost of moving the money across the border.
The FX line
- The transfer line models 0.5% of the full amount transferred, including retained lender reserves when financed. It is an illustrative assumption, not a live quote.
Assumptions & limits
- Closing figures and FX are illustrative, not live quotes, and are confirmed before you send funds.
- The headline is total liquidity required, not total fees. It doesn't include ongoing operating costs (see the Rental ROI tool for those).
The full method across every tool: How we calculate these →
Dara is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking, card and property-financing services provided by licensed partners. Protections vary by product. Calculator results are illustrative educational estimates, not financial, tax, investment, lending, or rate advice. Property costs, financing terms, FX, and reward assumptions are confirmed by the relevant provider where applicable.