Nevada real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Nevada has no state income tax, and NRS 361.4723 caps the tax bill on your own home at 3% a year. and closes through escrow instead of a lawyer. The paperwork that trips buyers up is the HOA resale package. Here is what is the same everywhere in Nevada, and where to search homes.
Nevada cities we cover
Each guide covers the local neighborhoods, costs and rules for that city.
What every Nevada buyer and seller should know
Transfer tax is paid at recording, and the county changes the rate
Nevada charges a Real Property Transfer Tax on the deed. The base is $1.95 per $500 of value. Clark County adds $0.60, for $2.55. Washoe and Churchill add $0.10, for $2.05. The recorder collects it before the deed records, and state law makes buyer and seller both liable for it. Who actually writes the check is negotiated.
The seller fills out the state disclosure form
Nevada requires a Seller's Real Property Disclosure Form, served at least 10 days before the home is conveyed (NRS 113.130). If the seller never delivers it, you can cancel without penalty any time before conveyance. If the seller tells you about a new defect later, you have 4 working days from that notice to cancel.
HOA homes come with a resale package and a 5-day out
If the home is in a common-interest community, the seller pays for and gives you the resale package: the CC and Rs, bylaws, rules, budget, reserve summary, unpaid amounts, fee list and proof of insurance. You can cancel in writing until midnight of the fifth calendar day after you get it. The package is good for 90 days.
The HOA has 10 days and a capped fee
After a written request the association has 10 calendar days to produce the documents and the certificate. It can charge up to $185 for the certificate plus up to $100 to rush it inside 3 business days, and up to $165 for a statement of demand plus $100 to rush. Those are the only fees allowed for the resale documents themselves. The association can still charge a separate fee to open and close your file. Each cap can rise a little every January, so ask for this year's number.
Escrow closes the sale, not a lawyer
Nevada sales close through a licensed escrow agency or title company. Escrow holds the money, clears the liens and records the deed. Federal law also says a seller cannot force you to use one certain title company on a federally related loan.
Your own home gets a 3% yearly cap
The tax bill on an owner's primary residence cannot rise more than 3% over last year's bill. Other property gets a higher cap. You have to claim it, either on a form from the county assessor or on the Declaration of Value filed with your deed at recording. Only one Nevada home can be your primary residence.
Taxes run on a fiscal year and split into four
Property taxes are due the third Monday of August. If the bill is over $100 you can split it into four payments: third Monday of August, first Monday of October, first Monday of January and first Monday of March. Late payments start adding penalties at 4%.
Country property: wells, open range and farm tax liens
A domestic well needs no state permit if it draws 2 acre-feet a year or less. If the lot sits next to open range, the seller has to give you a separate written notice before you sign, because livestock may come onto the land and you cannot collect damages for it. If the land had farm or open-space assessment, the seller has to tell you in writing about any deferred tax lien.
Closing costs in Nevada: who pays what
Who pays what in Nevada. The transfer tax and the HOA caps are set by law. Everything else is custom, and buyer and seller are both liable for the transfer tax no matter what the contract says.
| Buyer pays | How it works |
|---|---|
| Lender's title policy | A premium based on your loan amount. |
| Half the escrow fee | The escrow company's fee, commonly split down the middle. |
| Recording the deed and deed of trust | A county fee. State law sets $25 per document as the base and counties add to it. Washoe charges $43. |
| Home inspection | A flat fee set by the inspector. Not required by law. |
| Appraisal | Ordered by your lender, priced by the appraiser. |
| HOA file-opening or transfer fee | State law caps it. The cap started at $350 and by law it moves up every January, so ask for this year's figure. It cannot be charged to both sides. |
| Property tax proration | You pay the seller back for days after closing inside an installment they already paid. |
| Share of the transfer tax, if the contract says so | Same rates as the seller's line. Both sides are liable by statute. |
| Seller pays | How it works |
|---|---|
| Real property transfer tax | $2.55 per $500 in Clark, $2.05 in Washoe and Churchill, $1.95 everywhere else. The value rounds up to the next $500. |
| Owner's title policy for the buyer | A premium based on the sale price. |
| Half the escrow fee | Split with the buyer. |
| HOA resale certificate | Up to $185, plus up to $100 to rush it inside 3 business days. |
| HOA statement of demand | Up to $165, plus up to $100 to rush. |
| Recording the loan release | A county recording fee. |
| Home warranty for the buyer | Only if the contract says so. |
| The disclosure form | No fee. It is required by law. |
Who customarily pays what is not law here. State law makes buyer and seller jointly liable for the transfer tax. HOA caps adjust for inflation every year and recording fees vary by county. Ask your AXEN agent for the numbers in your county before you sign.
How a Nevada home purchase runs
From open escrow to recorded deed, most Nevada sales run 30 to 45 days. Here is the order, and which parts are law rather than custom.
Get pre-approved →-
Open escrow and send earnest money. The agents send the signed contract to a licensed escrow or title company, you wire the deposit, and escrow orders title. Days 1 to 3.
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Seller delivers the disclosure form. The seller completes the state form and serves it, no later than 10 days before conveyance. Until then, a buyer who never got it can cancel without penalty. That one is law.
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Seller orders the HOA resale package. If there is an HOA the seller requests it in writing and the association has 10 calendar days. Your 5-day cancel window starts when you receive it, so ordering early matters.
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Inspection and due diligence. You hire inspectors, read the disclosure and the HOA documents, and ask for repairs. Usually the first 7 to 15 days.
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Loan processing and appraisal. The lender orders the appraisal and works the file. Days 5 to 25. You pick your own title company, and the seller cannot force one on you.
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Title commitment review. Escrow issues the preliminary title report. Read the liens, easements, CC and Rs, and any deferred farm or open-space tax lien. Days 7 to 20.
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Final walkthrough. You check that repairs were done and the home is in the shape you agreed. One to three days out.
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Signing. Both sides sign at escrow or with a mobile notary. The seller signs the deed. Both sides sign the Declaration of Value. If you are claiming the 3% cap as a primary-residence buyer, you have to sign that part yourself, or the assessor mails you a separate form later.
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Funding and recording. The lender funds. Escrow pays off the old loans and the HOA, collects the transfer tax and records the deed. The recorder will not take the deed until the transfer tax is paid, and title passes when it records.
Nevada by region
Nevada's two metros sit 400 miles apart and feel nothing alike. Tap a city for homes for sale there.
Southern Nevada
The desert corner of the state. Most homes are newer and sit in master-planned communities with an HOA, so the resale package and the 5-day cancel window come up on almost every sale. Nearby: Henderson, North Las Vegas, Summerlin, Boulder City, Mesquite and Pahrump.
Northern Nevada
High desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, mixing older in-town homes with newer subdivisions. Rural lots nearby may run on a well or a septic system. Nearby: Sparks, Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville, Incline Village and Fernley.
AXEN Realty in Nevada
Every AXEN agent in Nevada works under a licensed managing broker: Jojo Quiroz (AXEN Realty, LLC, firm license B.1003255.LLC); Mitchell Ronald Stoker (AXEN Realty Partners, LLC, firm license B.1003339.LLC). See every state on the state brokers page.
Buying? Start with the home buying guide and get pre-approved.
Selling? Read the home selling guide and get your home value.
Moving here? Read buying in a new state.
Real estate agent? Changing brokerages in Nevada: you file Form 504 after your old broker files Form 505; state fee: $20. See how to transfer a Nevada license, the switching checklist, advice for new agents and how keeping 100% works.
Nevada real estate questions
Does Nevada have a state income tax?
No. The Nevada Constitution bars an income tax on the wages or personal income of individuals. Businesses can still be taxed on revenue. That is how the state is set up, not advice about your situation. Ask a tax professional about your own.
Do I need a lawyer to buy or sell a home in Nevada?
No. Nevada sales close through a licensed escrow agency or title company. Escrow holds the funds, clears the liens, collects the transfer tax and records the deed. You can still hire a lawyer if you want one.
Who picks the title company?
On a federally related mortgage loan the seller cannot require you to buy title insurance from a particular company, and a seller who does can owe you three times the title charges. In practice both sides agree on escrow and title in the contract.
How long do I have to back out of an HOA home?
Until midnight of the fifth calendar day after you receive the resale package. Send the cancellation in writing to the seller or their agent. There is no penalty and your deposits come back. Once you accept the deed, the right is gone.
What if the seller never gives me the disclosure form?
You can cancel without penalty any time before the property is conveyed to you. If the seller tells you about a new defect after serving the form, you have 4 working days from that notice to cancel. Other remedies exist after closing.
When are Nevada property taxes due?
They are due the third Monday of August. If the bill is over $100 you can split it into four payments due the third Monday of August, the first Monday of October, the first Monday of January and the first Monday of March. Late payments add penalties.
How do I get the 3% tax cap on my new home?
File a claim. Use the form from your county assessor, or claim it on the Declaration of Value that goes to the recorder with your deed. It only applies to your primary residence, and only one Nevada home counts. Everything else gets a higher cap.
My home is only a few years old and I found a building problem. What now?
Before suing a contractor you have to send written notice by certified mail describing the defects, let the contractor inspect, and give a real chance to repair. Courts throw out cases that skip those steps. Most claims have to start within 10 years of substantial completion.