Guides 17 states, updated 2026

Real estate rules, state by state

Property tax, transfer tax, title costs, insurance and capital gains — the exact rules the calculator uses, written out with a worked example for each state.

Arizona

Flippers and short-hold investors, thanks to near-zero transfer tax and a low, capped property tax base.

California

Long-term holders who benefit from the 2% annual assessment cap; short holds get less of the Prop 13 advantage.

Colorado

Investors who want light property tax and closing costs but need to underwrite hail and wildfire insurance carefully.

Florida

Cash-flow investors who can underwrite insurance costs precisely; no state income tax on the exit.

Georgia

Investors who want a lower absolute price point with property tax that behaves close to a national-average effective rate.

Illinois

Investors comfortable underwriting a higher, more complex property tax calculation in exchange for Midwest price points.

Michigan

Investors willing to underwrite the post-sale uncapped tax basis correctly; Midwest price points with straightforward insurance costs.

Nevada

Investors who want no state income tax exposure on rental income or an eventual sale.

New Jersey

Investors targeting appreciation or rental income high enough to absorb the country’s highest property tax rate.

New York

Investors targeting outer-borough or upstate properties under the mansion-tax thresholds where closing costs behave more predictably.

North Carolina

Buy-and-hold investors who want moderate, predictable property tax without frequent reassessment surprises.

Ohio

Investors comfortable with a somewhat complex property tax mechanism in exchange for lower Midwest entry prices.

Pennsylvania

Investors outside Philadelphia who want the lower statewide transfer-tax baseline.

Tennessee

Investors who want no state income tax and a low residential assessment ratio.

Texas

Buy-and-hold investors who want zero transfer tax and don’t mind a higher recurring property tax bill.

Virginia

Investors who want a below-average property tax rate and don’t mind a two-sided (buyer-and-seller) transfer-tax structure instead of one flat fee.

Washington

Investors targeting mid-market price points where the REET brackets stay favorable, and no state income tax on rental cash flow.

Don’t see your state? Check any property anyway.

The calculator covers county-level detail for these 17 states, with a sensible national baseline elsewhere.