In Florida, buyers typically pay 2–5% of the purchase price in closing costs, and sellers pay 6–10% once real estate commission is included. On a $400,000 home, that’s roughly $8,000–$20,000 for the buyer and $24,000–$40,000 for the seller, driven mostly by taxes, title insurance, and commission.

The Buyer’s Side: What 2–5% Covers

If you’re financing your purchase, most of your closing costs are tied to the loan. Florida charges a documentary stamp tax of $0.35 per $100 on the mortgage note and a nonrecurring intangible tax of $2.00 per $1,000 on the mortgage amount. On a $320,000 loan, those two taxes alone come to about $1,120 and $640 respectively.

On top of the state taxes, buyers pay lender fees (origination, appraisal, credit report), recording fees to put the deed and mortgage on the public record, prepaid items like homeowner’s insurance and property tax escrows, and — depending on the county — title insurance. Cash buyers skip the loan-related taxes and fees entirely, which is why cash closings in Florida often cost only a fraction of a financed closing.

The Seller’s Side: What 6–10% Covers

The seller’s biggest expense is usually the real estate commission, which averages around 5–6% statewide. After that comes the documentary stamp tax on the deed — $0.70 per $100 of the sale price in most Florida counties. On a $400,000 sale, that’s $2,800. Sellers also typically pay to clear anything found in the title search, such as recording satisfactions of existing mortgages or resolving liens.

Title Insurance: Florida’s Regulated Rates

Florida title insurance premiums are promulgated — set by state regulation — so the base premium is the same no matter which title agent you use. The rate is $5.75 per $1,000 of the purchase price on the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 up to $1 million. A $400,000 owner’s policy therefore carries a base premium of $2,075. Who pays it varies by county custom, which brings us to Miami-Dade.

Closing Costs in Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade plays by its own rules in two important ways. First, the deed tax is different: single-family homes pay $0.60 per $100 of the price, but all other property types — including many condos held in certain ownership forms and commercial property — pay an additional $0.45 per $100 surtax. Second, county custom flips who pays for title insurance: in Miami-Dade (along with Broward), the buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title policy and selects the closing agent, the opposite of most of Florida.

Recording with the Miami-Dade Clerk runs $10 for the first page of a document and $8.50 for each additional page. Because customs here differ from the rest of the state, contracts drafted with statewide assumptions can shift thousands of dollars in costs to the wrong party. Arturo R. Alfonso P.A. has closed real estate transactions across Miami-Dade for over 35 years, in English and Spanish, and reviews every closing statement line by line before you sign. If you’ve been searching for a real estate closing attorney near me in Miami, we can walk you through exactly what your closing will cost.

Related Questions

• Who pays closing costs in Florida — buyer or seller?
• Do I need a real estate attorney to buy a house in Florida?
• Real estate law services in Miami