True Cost-to-Close Calculator
The all-in cash to buy a US property from abroad (closing costs, LLC formation, reserves, and the cost of moving the money) in one number.
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.
- Purchase price (all-cash)$232,990Full price, paid in cash
- Closing costs$4,660Title, escrow, recording (typically ~1.5-3% of price)
- Inspection & appraisal$1,200Typically $800-$1,500
- LLC, EIN & registered agent$1,200Set up by Dara, no US presence or SSN needed
- First-year insurance$1,800Seeded from the market; confirmed per property
- Property management setup$1,500One-time tenant placement + onboarding, required for remote owners. Ongoing management (a monthly % of rent) is in the Rental ROI tool, not here.
- Moving your money (Dara FX)$1,217Dara's rail (~0.5%) vs a typical bank wire (~2.5% + $45): about $4,912 saved
Total cash to close
$244,567
≈ ₦391,306,478 today
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
- Most foreign buyers hold US property in an LLC. Dara sets up the company, its tax ID (EIN), and first-year registered agent (no US presence or SSN needed).
- Lender reserves
- When you finance, lenders want a few months of housing cost held in reserve at closing. Cash buyers skip this line entirely.
- 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
Moving a quarter-million dollars through a typical bank wire can cost ~2.5% plus a wire fee (thousands of dollars) before you've bought anything. The tool compares that against Dara's rail on your own number.
Cash vs financed changes the shape
All-cash means the full price plus costs. Financed means your down payment plus costs plus a few months of lender reserves: a smaller cash outlay up front, carried monthly (see the DSCR qualifier).
This is cash to acquire, not to operate
It's what you need to get the keys. Ongoing costs (taxes, insurance, management, maintenance) live 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?
No. This is the one-time cash to close. Monthly financing is modelled in the DSCR qualifier.
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 lender reserves when financed.
- Plus the line most calculators leave out: the cost of moving the money across the border.
The FX line
- The transfer line compares a typical bank wire's exchange-rate spread against Dara's rate on the same amount, the hidden cost in most cross-border purchases.
Assumptions & limits
- Closing figures and FX are illustrative, not live quotes, and are confirmed before you send funds.
- It's the cash to acquire. It doesn't include ongoing operating costs (see the Rental ROI tool for those).
The full method across every tool: How we calculate these →
Educational estimates, not financial, tax, or investment advice. Figures are illustrative and confirmed per property at qualification.