🧾 Buyers & sellers
Closing CostsIn Florida
At a Florida closing, buyers typically pay about 2–5% of the purchase price (lender fees, state taxes on the loan, title, inspections, and prepaid insurance and taxes), while sellers typically pay about1.3–1.5% for the charges that scale with the price — Florida's $0.70-per-$100 documentary stamp tax on the deed and, by local custom in our markets, the owner's title insurance policy — plus a tax proration, an estoppel letter, unpaid assessments or a survey where they apply, and any negotiated brokerage compensation. Everything is negotiable in the contract.
Educational guide, not legal, tax, or lending advice. Figures are typical for our Florida markets — programs, rates, and rules change, so verify current numbers with your lender, title company, or county.
What buyers pay
| Cost | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Loan origination & underwriting | 0.5–1% of loan | Charged by your lender; shop it. |
| Appraisal | $500–$650 | Ordered by the lender, paid up front. |
| Home inspection | $350–$550 | Optional but never skip it — add wind-mitigation & 4-point on the coast. |
| Survey | $300–$500 | Usually required for financed purchases. |
| Doc stamps on the note | $0.35 per $100 borrowed | Florida tax on your mortgage note. |
| Intangible tax | 0.2% of loan amount | Florida tax on recording the mortgage. |
| Lender's title policy | ≈ $500–$900 | Protects the lender; priced off the owner’s policy. |
| Prepaids & escrows | 1–2% of price | First year of insurance + several months of taxes/insurance in escrow. |
What sellers pay
| Cost | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Doc stamps on the deed | $0.70 per $100 of price | The big Florida transfer tax — customarily seller-paid. |
| Owner's title policy | ≈ 0.5–0.55% of price | In our markets the seller customarily pays and picks the title agent (negotiable). |
| Brokerage compensation | As negotiated | Set in your listing agreement. |
| Municipal lien search | $100–$250 | Confirms no open code or utility liens. |
| HOA/condo estoppel | $200–$500 if applicable | Ordered from the association. |
| Property-tax proration | Varies by closing date | Florida taxes are paid in arrears — sellers credit buyers for the months they owned. |
Most of a Florida seller's closing costs are not fees at all. They are a tax on the price itself — $0.70 per $100 — owed the day the deed records, in a hot market or a slow one.
A worked example at $450,000
Buyer · $360,000 loan (20% down)
- Doc stamps on note ($0.35/$100)$1,260
- Intangible tax (0.2%)$720
- Lender + appraisal + survey + inspection≈ $4,300
- Lender's title policy≈ $700
- Prepaids & escrows (insurance + taxes)≈ $7,500
- Ballpark total≈ $15,000 (3.3%)
Seller · before brokerage compensation
- Doc stamps on deed ($0.70/$100)$3,150
- Owner's title policy≈ $2,350
- Lien search + settlement + recording≈ $650
- Tax proration (varies by closing date)varies
- Ballpark total≈ $6,200 (1.4%)
Custom is not law
Every line on this page is a line in a contract
“Customarily seller-paid” describes what usually happens in our markets, not what has to. The three items below move the most, and they move at the negotiating table — not at the closing table.
The title policy
Locally the seller pays for the owner’s policy and therefore picks the title agent. Both halves of that are negotiable, and in a buyer’s market they often are.
Seller concessions
A buyer can ask the seller to credit part of their closing costs. Loan programs cap how much a seller may contribute, and the credit has to be written into the contract to exist.
Brokerage compensation
Set in your listing agreement or buyer-representation agreement, negotiated separately from price. It is not a fixed rate and nobody else sets it.
Frequently asked questions
How much are closing costs for a buyer in Florida?
Plan on roughly 2–5% of the purchase price for a financed purchase, including lender fees, Florida taxes on the note and mortgage, title, and the prepaid insurance and tax escrows. Cash buyers often land closer to 1–1.5% because the loan-related taxes and lender fees disappear.
How much does a seller pay at closing in Florida?
Outside of brokerage compensation, the seller charges that scale with the price run about 1.3–1.5% — the largest pieces are the $0.70-per-$100 documentary stamp tax on the deed and, in our markets by custom, the owner’s title insurance policy. A tax proration, an estoppel letter, unpaid assessments or a survey are charged on top when they apply.
Who pays for title insurance in Brevard County?
By local custom in Brevard and most of Central Florida the seller pays for the owner’s title policy and chooses the title company. It is negotiable in the contract — in some South Florida counties the custom flips to the buyer.
What are documentary stamp taxes?
Florida's transfer taxes. On the deed: $0.70 per $100 of the sale price (customarily seller-paid). On a mortgage: $0.35 per $100 borrowed plus a 0.2% intangible tax (buyer-paid). A $450,000 sale with a $360,000 loan generates $3,150 in deed stamps and about $1,980 in note stamps and intangible tax.
Can the seller help pay my closing costs?
Yes — seller credits are common and negotiated in the offer. Lenders cap them (conventional loans usually 3–9% depending on your down payment; FHA 6%; VA 4%), and the credit can cover closing costs and prepaids but not your down payment.
Are closing costs different for a cash purchase?
Substantially. Cash buyers skip the note doc stamps, intangible tax, lender fees, appraisal (optional), and escrow prepaids — typically paying only inspection, survey (optional), settlement fees, and recording. That is a big part of why cash offers net sellers similar money at lower prices.
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