Many sellers of real estate do not realize the costs associated with selling real estate in Wisconsin. I am frequently in meetings with clients and catch sellers by surprise when I start mentioning the fees that are associated with the standard offer to purchase form which provides for the seller to pay for an owner’s title policy, the real estate transfer return fee (charged by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and based on .003% of the value of the property being transferred), mortgage satisfaction fees, closing service fees (normally to a title company), wire transfer fees, and unpaid real estate taxes and assessments (if any). Additionally, a seller is expected to prorate real estate taxes and give the buyer a credit at closing which is usually based on the number of days the seller owned the property in the year of closing and based on the net general real estate taxes for the preceding year.
Altogether, these charges and buyer credits add up and can result in an unexpected surprise if the seller is unprepared. It is possible to negotiate whether the buyer or the seller will pay for the above fees. Therefore, if you are aware of what fees are typically associated with the transaction, then you will know what fees to negotiate with the other party to pay for.