The First-Time Buyer's Guide to Closing Costs in Florida

The down payment is only part of the bill. Here is a line-by-line look at what you will actually pay at the closing table in Florida.

By Tyson E. Sam, Founder and Broker of Record · August 28, 2026 · 2 min read

Most first-time buyers budget for the down payment and forget about everything else. In Florida, closing costs typically run 2% to 5% of the purchase price, and knowing what is in that number helps you negotiate it down.

The big line items

Lender fees

Origination, underwriting, and application fees. These vary a lot between lenders, which is why we always encourage buyers to compare at least two loan estimates.

Title and settlement

Florida requires an owner's title policy, and the title company charges a settlement fee to run the closing. Who pays for title varies by county. In Miami-Dade and Broward the buyer usually pays; in Palm Beach and points north the seller often does. Your contract sets the rule, so read it.

Prepaids and escrow

Your lender will collect the first year of homeowners insurance up front plus a couple of months of property taxes and insurance to seed your escrow account. In South Florida, insurance is frequently the largest prepaid item.

Government fees

Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the mortgage note ($0.35 per $100 of the loan) and a nonrecurring intangible tax of 0.2% of the loan amount. Together they come to about 0.55% of the loan.

Inspections and appraisal

A general home inspection, a wind mitigation report, a four-point inspection for older homes, and the lender's appraisal. Budget for all of them, and never skip the inspection.

How to bring the number down

1. Ask the seller for a credit. In today's market, a seller contribution toward closing costs is a very normal ask.
2. Shop your lender. Fees are negotiable; rates are not always the whole story.
3. Close late in the month. Fewer days of prepaid interest.
4. Compare title and settlement quotes. Title insurance premiums in Florida are set by rule, but settlement and endorsement fees are not; ask for an itemized quote.

The bottom line

Get a written loan estimate early, compare it against the closing disclosure three days before closing, and ask about anything that changed. A good agent will walk through every line with you.