Seller Closing Costs by State

Two identical $500,000 sales can differ by more than $10,000 in seller costs depending only on the state. Three variables drive almost all of that spread: the transfer tax rate, who customarily pays the owner's title policy, and whether the state closes through escrow companies or attorneys.

None of these are negotiable in practice. They are local custom, backed by statute in some states.

Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, and several other states levy no state transfer tax. California charges roughly 0.11% at the county level, though San Francisco and Los Angeles stack substantial add-ons. Florida charges 0.70% in documentary stamp tax. Washington's REET is graduated, from 1.10% up to 3.0% above $3.025 million. New York layers a 0.40% state tax with New York City's RPTT of 1.0% to 1.425%.

On a $700,000 sale, that spans zero to well over $10,000.

The seller customarily buys the owner's policy in Texas, Illinois, Arizona, and much of Southern California. The buyer pays in much of the South and Northern California. Premiums are rate-regulated in Texas, Florida, and New York, and competitive in California and Colorado — so shopping only helps in some markets.

Western states generally close through escrow or title companies, with fees split by contract. New York, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Illinois are attorney-closing states, where a seller's attorney fee of roughly $500 to $1,500 is a normal line item western sellers never see.

Field Net has a dedicated calculator for all fifty states with transfer tax, title, and escrow customs pre-loaded. Pick the state, enter the price, and the defaults populate — then override anything you have exact figures for.