“What will this cost me at closing?” is one of the first questions buyers and sellers ask — and the honest answer is that Florida closing costs are made up of several distinct line items, some negotiable and some set by the state. Here’s how they break down.
Costs set by the State of Florida
Two of the biggest line items are state taxes on the transaction:
- Documentary stamp tax on the deed — Florida charges a doc-stamp tax on the sale price (in most counties, $0.70 per $100 of value). On a $300,000 home that’s about $2,100. It is customarily paid by the seller.
- Doc stamps and intangible tax on the mortgage — if the buyer is financing, there are doc stamps ($0.35 per $100) plus a nonrecurring intangible tax ($2.00 per $1,000) on the new loan. These are customarily paid by the buyer.
Title-related costs
- Owner’s title insurance premium — set by Florida’s promulgated rate and based on the purchase price.
- Lender’s title policy — usually issued at a reduced “simultaneous” rate when bought with the owner’s policy.
- Title search and settlement/closing fee — for the examination and handling of the closing.
Recording and miscellaneous
- County recording fees for the deed and mortgage
- Survey, HOA/condo estoppel fees, and municipal lien search
- Prorated property taxes and, if financed, escrow/prepaid items
Who pays what is largely customary, not fixed by law — and it is negotiable in the contract. That single sentence is why the purchase agreement matters so much.
Buyer vs. seller: the customary split
In a typical Northeast Florida residential deal, the seller usually covers the deed doc stamps and (in many counties, including Duval) the owner’s title policy, while the buyer covers loan-related taxes, the lender’s policy, and recording of the mortgage. But every one of these can be shifted by agreement.
How we help
Before you sign, we review the contract and give you a clear estimate of your side of the closing costs — so the number on the settlement statement is one you already expected. If a fee looks wrong at the table, we catch it.