Selling Your Towson House When You're Moving Out of State
You can sell a Towson house without being here for any of it: showings, inspections, repairs and settlement can all happen while you’re in another state. Two things are worth planning early: how you’ll sign, and Maryland’s tax withholding on sellers who live out of state, which you can usually avoid if the house was your home.
Updated November 2026
Maryland’s withholding on out-of-state sellers
When a seller who lives outside Maryland sells property here, the settlement agent withholds Maryland income tax at settlement and sends it with the deed. For sales after June 30, 2025, the rate is 8.75% for individuals and 8.25% for entities.
If the house has been your principal residence, you can usually certify that at settlement and nothing is withheld; your title company has the form and will tell you whether you qualify. If it wasn’t, such as a house you rented out after you moved, you can apply ahead of time for a full or partial exemption on Form MW506AE, and the rest is settled when you file your Maryland nonresident return. Bring your CPA in early.
Source: Comptroller of Maryland Tax Alert, April 13, 2026, and the 2026 nonresident withholding forms. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Signing without flying back
- Remote online notarization. Maryland has allowed it permanently since October 1, 2020, and many title companies can close you by video.
- Mail-away signing. The title company sends the documents, and you sign in front of a notary where you live.
- Power of attorney. Possible, but clear it with the title company and any lender first.
Running the sale from a distance
- Access. A lockbox or smart lock, and one person here who can let in a vendor.
- Repairs and cleaning. I’ve managed rentals since 2014, so I already work with cleaners, painters, handymen and inspectors, and I send you photos before and after.
- Insurance. Call your insurer before the house sits empty; coverage can change once nobody lives there.
- Utilities. Keep heat, power and water on through settlement.
- Photos. If you can, shoot the house before the movers come, or plan to stage it.
What I bring
Sellers who’ve already moved need someone who treats the house like they’re still in it. Since 2023, my listings have sold for a median 103.6% of the original asking price, in a median of 6 days on the market. Deciding the order of your sale and your next purchase? See sell first or buy first, and run your numbers on what it costs to sell in Baltimore County. More on how I sell homes.
Questions people ask
Do I have to come back to Maryland for settlement?
No. Many title companies close by video, or by mail with a notary where you live.
Will Maryland withhold 8.75% if I've already moved?
Not if the house has been your principal residence and you qualify to certify that at settlement. Otherwise individuals are withheld at 8.75% unless an exemption is approved ahead of time.
Should I sell before or after I move?
It depends on your next purchase and your dates. Shooting photos before the movers come helps either way.
Can you handle repairs while I'm gone?
Yes. I line up the vendors, check the work, and send you photos, so you approve everything from wherever you are.
About Mike Fielder
Mike Fielder is a Baltimore Realtor and Sales Director of The Key Home Team at Cummings & Co. Realtors. Licensed since June 2016, he focuses on North Baltimore (Lake Evesham, Lake Walker, Cedarcroft, Hampden and Remington) and the Towson area. He works with buyers and sellers throughout Maryland and in parts of Pennsylvania, where he’s also licensed. He also serves as Vice President of the Lake Evesham Community Association.
Over his career, Mike has sold 190 homes worth more than $56 million. He’s backed by The Key Home Team, which has sold more than $375 million in real estate and closes about $30 million a year.
Mike founded Property Management of Baltimore in 2014, two years before getting his license, and still runs it. Managing rentals taught him what repairs really cost, which updates buyers pay for, and how to keep a deal moving when something breaks. Sellers get that judgment when deciding what to fix before listing. Buyers get it when they’re reading an inspection report.
A Towson University graduate, Mike keeps his approach simple: price from real recent sales, spend money only where it pays back, and compare offers by what the client actually keeps.
More from Mike: Towson on mikesellsbaltimore.com · Selling with Mike · Full bio
Moving soon?
Call or text me at 410-905-6678, and I’ll map out the sale around your move date.
The Key Home Team of Cummings & Co. Realtors
Cell: 410-905-6678
Email: [email protected]
Office: 410-823-0033
222 W Cold Spring Ln, Suite C, Baltimore, MD 21210
Website: mikesellsbaltimore.com