What does a seller pay at closing in Florida?
Your net is the sale price minus your mortgage payoff, the compensation you agreed to in your listing agreement, and three Florida line items: documentary stamp tax on the deed at 70 cents per $100 of price (F.S. 201.02), the owner’s title policy premium if your contract puts it on the seller, and the HOA estoppel fee if you are in an association. On a $575,000 sale with a $320,000 payoff and 5% total compensation (example figures), those lines total $7,274 and the net before prorations and the closing agent’s fee is $218,976.
The rates below come from the Florida Statutes, the Florida Administrative Code, and the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar “AS IS” Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase (form ASIS-7x), each read for this post.
The three Florida line items on the seller’s side
Paragraph 9(a) of the AS IS contract lists the seller’s costs, among them “Documentary stamp taxes and surtax on deed, if any,” “Owner’s Policy and Charges (if Paragraph 9(c)(i) is checked),” “Municipal lien search (if Paragraph 9(c)(i) or (iii) is checked),” “HOA/Condominium Association estoppel fees,” “Recording and other fees needed to cure title,” “Seller’s attorneys’ fees,” and “Seller’s Closing Services.” Three of them carry a rate you can compute before you list.
1. Documentary stamp tax on the deed. F.S. 201.02(1)(a): “on each $100 of the consideration therefor the tax shall be 70 cents,” and when the consideration is not shown, “70 cents for each $100 or fractional part thereof.” Consideration “includes, but is not limited to, the money paid or agreed to be paid; the discharge of an obligation; and the amount of any mortgage, purchase money mortgage lien, or other encumbrance, whether or not the underlying indebtedness is assumed.” On a $575,000 sale, for example, that is 5,750 hundreds × $0.70 = $4,025.
2. The owner’s title policy, if you agreed to pay for it. Paragraph 9(c) defines “Owner’s Policy and Charges” as “The owner’s title policy premium and title search,” and the box you check in 9(c) decides who pays. Outside the 9(c)(iii) regional provision for Miami-Dade and Broward, the two choices are these. Under 9(c)(i), “Seller shall designate Closing Agent and pay for Owner’s Policy and Charges. Buyer shall pay premiums for any lender’s title policy and endorsements.” Under 9(c)(ii), “Buyer shall designate Closing Agent and pay for Owner’s Policy and Charges and premiums for any lender’s title policy and endorsements.” The premium itself is set by Florida Administrative Code 69O-186.003: $5.75 per $1,000 of liability from $0 to $100,000, then $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1 million, then $2.50 per $1,000 from $1 million to $5 million, with a $100 minimum. On a $575,000 policy, for example: 100 × $5.75 = $575, plus 475 × $5.00 = $2,375, for $2,950. The title search and “Seller’s Closing Services” are separate Paragraph 9 line items and are not set by the rule.
3. The HOA estoppel certificate. F.S. 720.30851 requires the association to issue the certificate “within 10 business days after receiving a written or electronic request,” caps the fee at “$250” when no delinquent amounts are owed, allows “an additional fee of $100” for expedited delivery within 3 business days, and allows an additional fee of up to “$150” when the account is delinquent. Subsection (9) adjusts those amounts for CPI every 5 years, with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation publishing the adjusted figures; Florida Realtors’ estoppel page (updated February 9, 2026) lists the caps as $299, $119, and $179. The certificate is effective for 30 days if delivered by hand or electronically and 35 days if mailed, and the fee “is payable upon the preparation of the certificate.” The example below uses Florida Realtors’ $299 figure.
The worked example on a $575,000 Winter Garden sale
- Sale price: $575,000 (example price).
- Mortgage payoff: $320,000 (example; your lender’s payoff statement is the real number).
- Compensation: $28,750, which is 5% of the price (example; compensation is whatever you agreed to in writing).
- Documentary stamp tax on the deed: $4,025 (5,750 × $0.70).
- Owner’s title policy premium, with 9(c)(i) checked: $2,950 ($575 + $2,375).
- HOA estoppel certificate: $299 (the Florida Realtors figure; $0 if there is no association).
- Net before prorations and the closing agent’s fee: $575,000 − $320,000 − $28,750 − $4,025 − $2,950 − $299 = $218,976.
Two lines move that number at the closing table. Standard K of the contract prorates recurring items “as of the day prior to Closing Date,” starting with “real estate taxes,” and “if current year’s assessment is not available, then taxes will be prorated on prior year’s tax,” with either party able to have the estimate “readjusted upon receipt of current year’s tax bill.” Ask the closing agent for a written quote for “Seller’s Closing Services” and for the tax proration computed on last year’s bill before you sign the listing agreement, not the week of closing.
Where a seller credit lands on your net
A buyer’s inspection or appraisal request comes to you in one of two forms: a price reduction or a credit at closing. Here is how I work that decision on the seller side. The room a buyer has to ask comes from the gap between how the home is positioned on the market (asking price, days on market, price history) and where it actually trades on the closed comps. A seller sitting at a number the comps do not support is usually more willing to hold the price on paper and give it back as a credit than to cut the price, because the credit protects the comp: the sale price stays on the record for the next appraisal in the neighborhood, and the buyer gets cash at closing.
On the example sale, a $10,000 credit costs you $10,000. A $10,000 price cut costs you $9,380: the $10,000 plus $70 less in doc stamps (5,650 × $0.70 = $3,955), $50 less in title premium ($2,900), and $500 less in the example 5% compensation ($28,250). The $620 difference is what protecting the comp costs on this sale. The condition is the appraisal: a credit lives inside the contract price, so the home must appraise at that price, and a low appraisal squeezes the credit first. The credit also has to fit inside what the buyer’s loan program allows as a seller concession, which differs by program and by what the credit pays for; my post on how much a buyer can ask for in seller concessions states each program’s rule. Structuring the deal so the credit fits is skilled work, and it is the work I do before we counter.
Get the number in writing before you list
- Order your payoff statement from the lender before you list.
- Decide the 9(c) box before the first offer. Whether the seller or the buyer pays the Owner’s Policy and Charges is a contract term, and the difference on the example sale is $2,950 plus the title search.
- Request the estoppel certificate as soon as you are under contract. The association has 10 business days, the certificate is good for 30 days if delivered electronically, and a delinquent balance lets the association add up to $150 under the statute ($179 on Florida Realtors’ page).
- Ask the closing agent for a written net sheet with the closing services fee and the tax proration computed on last year’s bill.
- Keep the compensation line and the credit line separate on the sheet, so a buyer’s credit request is evaluated against the comps, not against the compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays the documentary stamp tax on the deed in Florida?
The AS IS contract’s Paragraph 9(a) lists “Documentary stamp taxes and surtax on deed, if any” as a seller cost. The rate under F.S. 201.02 is 70 cents per $100 of consideration, which is $4,025 on a $575,000 example sale.
Does the seller pay for title insurance in Florida?
It depends on the box checked in Paragraph 9(c) of the contract: under 9(c)(i) the seller pays the Owner’s Policy and Charges, and under 9(c)(ii) the buyer pays them. The premium rate is fixed by Florida Administrative Code 69O-186.003 ($5.75 per $1,000 up to $100,000, then $5.00 per $1,000 up to $1 million), so a $575,000 owner’s policy, for example, is $2,950 whichever side pays it.
How much is an HOA estoppel certificate in Florida?
F.S. 720.30851 caps the fee at $250, with $100 more for expedited delivery within 3 business days and up to $150 more if the account is delinquent, adjusted for inflation every 5 years by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Florida Realtors lists the caps as $299, $119, and $179 (page updated February 9, 2026).
How are property taxes handled when I sell?
Standard K of the AS IS contract prorates real estate taxes as of the day before the Closing Date. If the current year’s assessment is not available, the proration uses the prior year’s tax, and either party can have it readjusted when the current bill arrives.
Is a price cut or a credit better for a seller’s net?
On a $575,000 sale, a $10,000 price cut reduces the net by $9,380 and a $10,000 credit reduces it by $10,000, using the example 5% compensation. The $620 difference buys a sale price that stays on the record for the next appraisal; the credit only works if the home appraises at the contract price.
The net is a calculation, not a guess
Three of your closing lines are set by statute, rule, or contract and can be computed the day you decide to sell; the payoff and the compensation are numbers you already hold. Put them on one sheet before you list, and every offer, credit request, and counter gets measured against your actual net.
If you are thinking about selling in Winter Garden or anywhere in Central Florida, book a strategy session at mvphomegroup.com/nelsoncruz and we will build your net sheet from your payoff, your association, and the comps. If you are a first responder, veteran, nurse, or teacher planning your next purchase, HonorFloridaHeroes.com explains the Florida Hometown Heroes program and what you may qualify for. If your next home is in Central Florida, the relocation guide at LiveMoveOrlando.com covers the corridors, commutes, and communities.