Moraga · Buying & selling

Buying or selling a home in Moraga

Moraga has its own documentary transfer tax, owed by any person who makes, signs or issues the taxed document or for whose benefit it is made. Seller disclosures and property tax follow state law.

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Key points

Transfer tax: Moraga transfer tax: $0.275 per $500 ($0.55 per $1,000), only on transfers over $100, not counting liens that remain.
Seller disclosures: State law: sellers of single-family homes must give buyers a Transfer Disclosure Statement, with exemptions such as foreclosure and court-ordered sales.
Property tax: State law: general property tax is at most 1% of full cash value plus voter-approved debt; the base value rises at most 2% a year.

Each rule below is marked Moraga code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

Transfer tax

Moraga code What Moraga's code adds
City transfer tax	Yes. The town taxes each document that transfers real property sold in the town. § 3.08.020 · code text There is imposed on each instrument or writing by which land, tenement, or other realty sold within the town is transferred or conveyed to the purchaser or other grantee
Rate	$0.275 for each $500 of value, or part of $500. Applies: Applies when the price or value, not counting debts remaining at the time of sale, is more than $100. § 3.08.020 · code text a tax at the rate of $0.275 of each five hundred dollars ($500.00) or fractional part of five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Rate per $1,000	$0.55 per $1,000 of value. Applies: Applies when the price or value, not counting debts remaining at the time of sale, is more than $100. § 3.08.020 · code text a tax at the rate of $0.275 of each five hundred dollars ($500.00) or fractional part of five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Price threshold	$100. Applies: The tax applies only when the price or value, not counting debts remaining at the time of sale, is more than $100. § 3.08.020 · code text when the consideration or value of the interest conveyed (exclusive of the value of an encumbrance remaining at the time of sale) exceeds one hundred dollars ($100.00)
Rate depends on price	No. The same rate applies at every sale price. § 3.08.020 · code text a tax at the rate of $0.275 of each five hundred dollars ($500.00) or fractional part of five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Who pays	The person who makes, signs or issues the taxed document, or for whose use or benefit it is made. § 3.08.030 · code text The tax imposed under Section 3.08.020 shall be paid by the person who makes, signs or issues the instrument subject to the tax, or for whose use or benefit the instrument is made, signed or issued.

CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. County documentary transfer tax: A county may tax a sale over $100 at $0.55 for each $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), not counting liens that remain on the property (Rev. & Tax. Code § 11911(a)). City share of the tax: A city may impose half the county rate ($0.55 per $1,000); the county then credits the city tax against its own, so the combined standard rate stays $1.10 per $1,000 (Rev. & Tax. Code § 11931). California rules for buying and selling — the full state rule →

Seller disclosures

CA state law California law sets this statewide. Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) — who must give it: Sellers of single-family residential property must give the buyer a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (sale, exchange, installment contract, lease-option or ground lease with improvements) (Civ. Code §§ 1102(a), 1102.2). Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement (NHD): Sellers must disclose if the property is in a special flood hazard area, dam inundation area, very high fire hazard severity zone, earthquake fault zone, seismic hazard zone, or wildland fire area (Civ. Code § 1103(c)). California seller disclosure rules — the full state rule →

Property tax after you buy

CA state law California law sets this statewide. 1% property tax limit (Prop 13): The general property tax on real property may not exceed 1% of its full cash value; voter-approved bond debt is levied on top (Cal. Const. art. XIII A, § 1(a), (b)). 2% annual cap on assessed value: The base year value rises each year by the California CPI change, but never more than 2% (Rev. & Tax. Code § 51(a)(1)(D)). California property tax rules — the full state rule →

Sidewalk repairs

Moraga code What Moraga's code adds
City help	The town may repair sidewalks during street rehabilitation; owners keep their cost and liability duties. Applies: Applies to street rehabilitation projects. § 12.04.030 · code text the town may from time-to-time repair sidewalk areas as part of a street rehabilitation project. This action by the town shall in no way eliminate the property owner's financial and liability obligations set forth in this section.
Liability for injuries	An owner who fails the sidewalk duties is negligent and liable to members of the public injured as a result. § 12.04.030 · code text The failure of an owner to fulfill the duties imposed by subsections A and B of this section is negligence and the owner is liable to hurt members of the public injured because of that negligence.
Who must repair it	The fronting parcel's owner must repair and maintain the sidewalk area, parking strip and curb, and pay the cost. § 12.04.030 · code text The owner of a parcel of real property which fronts on any portion of a sidewalk area between the property line of the parcel and the street line, including a parking strip and curb, is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the sidewalk area and shall pay the cost and expense of repair and maintenance. The person in possession also has the sidewalk repair and maintenance duties. Applies: Applies when the owner is not the person in possession of the parcel. § 12.04.030 · code text If the owner of the parcel of real property is not the person in possession, then the responsibilities and duties imposed by subsections A and B of this section are also imposed on the person in possession of the property.

Who this affects

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Frequently asked questions

What is the transfer tax when you sell a home in Moraga?

Moraga transfer tax: $0.275 per $500 ($0.55 per $1,000), only on transfers over $100, not counting liens that remain.

What are the sidewalk repair rules for homeowners in Moraga?

Moraga's code: The fronting parcel's owner must repair and maintain the sidewalk area, parking strip and curb, and pay the cost. (§ 12.04.030); An owner who fails the sidewalk duties is negligent and liable to members of the public injured as a result. (§ 12.04.030).

General information, not legal advice.

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