Printable cheat sheet

    Texas mixed closing math cheat sheet

    Built for Texas sales agent exam prep. Sort each line by base, side, and formula before adding anything together.

    Use the calculator
    CommissionSale price x rate

    Use the rate in the question. Rates are negotiable, not standard.

    Owner's title insurancePromulgated premium

    Set by the Texas Department of Insurance. Commonly a seller cost, but negotiable by contract.

    Recording feesFlat dollar amount

    Release of the seller's deed of trust and the buyer's deed. Not a percentage of price.

    Loan-to-valueLoan / value; down = price - loan

    LTV is the loan over value. Down payment is the cash gap between price and loan.

    ProrationDaily rate x days

    Name the day-count method (360 or 365) and who owns the closing day before using the worksheet.

    Final totalAdd requested lines only

    Seller debit, buyer charge, and total transaction math are different totals. No transfer tax in Texas.

    The exam setup rule

    1. Name the topic for each line item before calculating it.
    2. Circle the base: sale price, loan amount, value, annual amount, or days.
    3. If seller days are not given, calculate the day count first.
    4. Calculate each line separately before combining totals.
    5. Label buyer charges and seller charges as separate buckets.
    6. Add only the bucket the final sentence asks for.

    Five worked examples

    Commission$425,450 sale, 6% commission

    $425,450 x 0.06 = $25,527 total commission.

    Title and recording$2,750 owner's title premium, $130 recording

    Fixed dollar costs: $2,750 + $130 = $2,880. These do not scale with the sale price.

    Loan-to-value$340,000 loan on a $425,450 sale

    LTV: $340,000 / $425,450 = 79.92%. Down payment: $425,450 - $340,000 = $85,450.

    Tax proration$4,380 annual taxes, 196 seller days, 365-day method

    $4,380 / 365 = $12 daily tax. $12 x 196 = $2,352 seller credit.

    Requested totalSeller math only

    Add seller-side commission, title, recording, and seller tax proration only if the question asks for seller math.

    Traps to check

    1. Do not add a state transfer tax line. Texas has no state transfer tax.
    2. Do not combine buyer and seller charges unless the question asks for a total transaction number.
    3. Do not confuse loan-to-value (a ratio) with down payment (a dollar amount).
    4. Do not treat title or recording as a percentage of price. They are fixed dollar costs.
    5. Do not guess proration days. Derive seller days from the closing date and closing-day ownership first.
    6. Do not answer the first subtotal you calculate. Re-read the final ask.

    Sanity check

    1. Every number should have a side: buyer, seller, loan, sale price, or day count.
    2. Commission should follow the sale price. Loan-to-value should follow the loan over value.
    3. Down payment plus loan amount should equal the sale price.
    4. A proration amount should equal daily rate times the exact days used by the stem.
    5. Seller-only totals should exclude buyer financing charges.
    6. If a number looks like a transfer tax, drop it. Texas has no transfer tax.
    Practice the pattern Pass Texas drills mixed closing math without labels.

    Use the calculator, Math Coach, Trap Library, and Texas-specific questions at passtexasrealestate.com.

    Get Pass Texas

    Sources: TREC Candidate Handbook, Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate testing materials, Texas Department of Insurance promulgated title premium rates, Texas Comptroller property tax guidance, TRELA (Texas Occupations Code Ch. 1101), and Pass Texas math framework. For exam prep only, not legal, tax, lending, or closing advice.

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