Sacramento, CA real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Sacramento is the only city in this area with its own transfer tax on top of the county's, and the city says the buyer gets stuck with it if escrow does not pay it. Most of the city sits behind levees, so a flood agency assessment shows up as a line item on the property tax bill. If the home is a rental, the city makes you register it.
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Buying a home in Sacramento: what to know
The rules that apply everywhere in California are on the California page. These are the Sacramento details that trip people up.
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A City of Sacramento transfer tax of $2.75 per $1,000, on top of the county's. The city charges this on top of the county tax, on the full purchase price. It can be paid by buyer or seller by agreement, but the city holds the buyer responsible if escrow does not pay it. Put it in writing.
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A flood assessment on your tax bill. The local flood agency charges an operations and maintenance assessment plus benefit assessments, and they show up as direct levies on the Sacramento County tax bill. What you pay depends on which benefit zone the address is in.
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Natomas was frozen for about seven years. Federal remapping in 2008 stopped new building there, and it restarted in 2015 when a revised flood zone was approved. So homes in Natomas are either older or newer, with a gap in between, and the area has its own benefit assessment on top of the wider one.
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New building in the deep floodplain costs extra. The flood agency charges a development impact fee on new structures in the 200-year floodplain, collected by the city when you pull the building permit. That matters on new builds and big additions, not just on raw land.
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If it is a rental, the city registers it. Sacramento runs a rental housing inspection programme under its city code. Rentals have to be registered with an annual fee per unit, and a new owner has to register in their own name.
Selling a home in Sacramento
Sort out the transfer tax early.
Put in writing who pays the City of Sacramento's $2.75 per $1,000. If it is left unpaid at closing the city's stated policy is that the buyer owes it, and that fight lands on your closing table.
If it is a rental, the registration follows the sale.
The city's rental housing programme requires registration and an annual fee per unit. A new owner has to register, so tell them before they find out.
Pull the tax bill and show the flood lines.
The flood agency's charges appear as direct levies on the county bill and buyers get surprised by them. Hand them the actual bill instead of guessing.
Sacramento real estate questions
Does Sacramento have its own transfer tax?
Yes. The City of Sacramento charges $2.75 per $1,000 of the purchase price, separate from the county tax. Buyer or seller can pay it by agreement, but the city's rule is that if it goes unpaid in escrow the buyer becomes responsible.
Why is there a flood charge on the tax bill?
The local flood agency raises money through property assessments, with an operations and maintenance charge plus benefit assessments for levee and dam work. They appear as direct levies on your county tax bill, and the amount depends on your flood benefit zone.
Is buying in Natomas different?
Yes. Federal remapping in 2008 effectively stopped new building there and it restarted in 2015 after a revised flood zone was approved. That is why the housing stock skips several years, and Natomas has its own benefit assessment district on top of the wider one.
I want to rent the house out. What does the city require?
Sacramento runs a rental housing inspection programme under its city code. You register the rental with the city and pay an annual fee for each unit, and units can be inspected. Plan for this before you close, not after your first tenant moves in.
Does the levee mean I do not need flood insurance?
Do not assume that. Most of the city sits behind levees, which is exactly why the flood agency exists and why its assessments are on your tax bill. Ask which benefit zone you are in and what the flood zone map says for that specific parcel.
Buying or selling in Sacramento? Talk to a local agent.
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