LA · #25 by population

Buying a home in Louisiana

Costs and rules that are specific to Louisiana. Main city: New Orleans.

In short

Louisiana has no state transfer tax (counties and cities may charge one), requires an attorney for part of the closing and requires a seller disclosure form. It forecloses through the courts and is a community property state.

Calculate for Louisiana

If you buy

Louisiana state transfer tax

Louisiana has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$223,200
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the Louisiana median value of owner-occupied homes, $223,200 (Census ACS 2024). Rule: No state tax. The New Orleans tax is a flat amount that does not depend on price. Who pays: The City Code names the seller as taxpayer in a cash sale or sale with concurrent mortgage. Civil Code art. 2463 puts other sale expenses on the buyer, so read the purchase agreement. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, the tax on the mortgage, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Louisiana transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Louisiana state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Louisiana in short

Is there a real estate transfer tax in Louisiana?

Louisiana has no state transfer tax. Its Constitution bars any new state or local tax on the sale of real estate after November 30, 2011. New Orleans keeps an older documentary transaction tax of $300 on the sale of a single-family home under the City Code, paid by the seller.

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

What closing costs does Louisiana law set?

Louisiana has no official typical closing-cost total.

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

How is property tax calculated in Louisiana?

Louisiana assesses residential land and buildings at 10% of fair market value, and the homestead exemption removes $7,500 of assessed value ($75,000 of market value) from most taxes on a home you own and occupy.

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

What is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in Louisiana?

In Orleans Parish, Louisiana, inspect the assessment list from July 15 to August 15 and file a complaint with the board of review at least 7 days before its hearing. The board's decision is final unless appealed to the Louisiana Tax Commission (R.S. 47:1992).

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

Do you need a real estate attorney to close in Louisiana?

No Louisiana statute read orders buyers or sellers to hire a lawyer, but R.S. 37:212 treats preparing acts of sale for pay and giving title opinions as the practice of law, so a Louisiana attorney is built into a normal closing before a notary and two witnesses.

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

What must a home seller disclose in Louisiana?

A Louisiana seller of residential property with one to four dwelling units must complete a property disclosure document and deliver it no later than the time the buyer makes an offer (R.S. 9:3198). If it arrives after the offer, the buyer may cancel within 72 hours with the deposit returned.

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

How does foreclosure work in Louisiana?

Louisiana has no private power of sale: a lender forecloses through the courts, usually by executory process, where a judge orders the sheriff to seize and sell the home without citation or trial if the mortgage is an authentic act confessing judgment.

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

What first-time home buyer programs does Louisiana offer?

In Louisiana, the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) runs four HomeStart programs, two of which give 4% assistance forgiven after 60 months.

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

Is Louisiana a community property state?

Louisiana's legal regime is community of acquets and gains: each spouse owns an undivided one-half of the community property (Civil Code Art. 2327, 2336), and selling or mortgaging a community home generally needs both spouses' signatures (Art. 2347).

Full Louisiana guide · Compare all 50 states

Which natural hazards affect home insurance in Louisiana?

A standard Louisiana homeowners policy does not cover flood. The NFIP covers up to $250,000 for a house and $100,000 for contents, and Louisiana Citizens runs the Coastal Plan and the FAIR Plan.

Full Louisiana guide

How much tax when you sell a home in Louisiana?

The federal rule is the same in Louisiana as in every state: if you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 of the last 5 years, the first $250,000 of gain is excluded, $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly (Section 121, IRS Publication 523). Bought $400,000, sold $750,000: a single owner has $100,000 of taxable gain, $15,000 of federal tax at the 15% long-term rate; a couple filing jointly owes nothing. Louisiana income tax on the gain is not computed here.

Capital gains on a home sale

Louisiana guides

New Orleans

Buying a home in New Orleans, Louisiana

Professionals in Louisiana

All states · Federal guides