Calculating Sales Cost on Sub2

[Curtis H.]

Hello all, 

Figured I'd start a new thread on this. 

So I am closing on a Sub2 deal I just did (my first one) and I think the seller's agent is playing with the numbers to raise his commission (after trying to extort me for 6%). My concern is I want the purchase price to appear as low as possible, as my transfer taxes and property taxes will be affected (since CA uses the sales price).

So here are the numbers...

Remaining loan amount - $460K

Lien to be paid off - $8K

Money to seller - $14K

So the realtor is arguing that all the costs above (plus some phantom costs) are the sale price. I think he actually added the title insurance or something else in there as well. He is claiming his 3% commission (which I am paying) is $14,878. Even with the numbers above, his commission doesn't come out to that much. I get $14,460.

So assuming I want him to shut up about his commission and just close the deal, could I just make the purchase price $460K, and the other items are separate? And give him whatever percentage of $460K that will still equal his original amount? That way my property taxes aren't jacked up artificially? Or am I looking at this wrong?

Also, this is a little out there, but I will be making a $25K payment to the bank immediately after closing..Now when I make that payment, the principal will drop a good amount. So if I were to pay the $25K first (but really at the same time) and have the new lower principal balance as the sale price (let's say $440K), would that fly? That is nearly $700 a year extra in property taxes between $440K and the $496K the agent is claiming is the final sale price. Even the numbers up top only add up to $482K. I don't get it.