Estimate what you'll pay at closing on a US home, line by line in the order of the Loan Estimate, with your cash to close; or switch to the seller's side to see your net proceeds.
How to use the closing costs calculator
- Enter the price, your down payment and rate, and pick your state for transfer taxes if it's listed (or enter a rate).
- Check the loan charges, prepaid interest, insurance, property tax and escrow months, then add the fees from your Loan Estimate.
- Read the itemised total, the share of the price and your cash to close. Switch to Seller for net proceeds.
How it's worked out
- Origination and points: a percentage of the loan; one point is 1% of the loan.
- Prepaid interest: loan × rate ÷ 365 × days until the end of the month.
- Prepaids and escrow: a year of homeowners insurance up front, plus a deposit of about two months of insurance and property taxes into escrow (federal rules cap the cushion at one-sixth of a year's escrow payments).
- Transfer taxes: New York 0.4% (seller) and 1% mansion tax from $1 million (buyer); Washington 1.10% to $525,000, 1.28% to $1,525,000, 2.75% to $3,025,000 and 3% above (seller, through 2026); Virginia $0.25 per $100 plus a third of that locally (buyer) and $0.50 per $500 grantor tax (seller); Vermont 0.5% on the first $200,000 and 1.25% above, plus 0.22% clean water surcharge (buyer).
Worked example
A $400,000 home with 20% down ($320,000 loan at 6.5%): a 1% origination fee is $3,200, 15 days of prepaid interest $854.79, a year of insurance $2,110 (the US average), and two months each of insurance and $4,000-a-year property tax into escrow $1,018.34, so $7,183.13 before the fees on your Loan Estimate. Freddie Mac's typical range for the whole bill is $8,000 to $20,000, and your cash to close starts at $87,183.13 with the down payment.
Sources, checked 7 October 2026: CFPB Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure explainers and 12 CFR 1026.37; 12 CFR 1024.17 (escrow cushion); Freddie Mac on closing costs, escrow and selling costs; the New York, Washington, Virginia and Vermont tax departments. An estimate, not financial or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much are closing costs on a house?
Freddie Mac says buyers' closing costs are typically 2% to 5% of the purchase price, so $8,000 to $20,000 on a $400,000 home. The real figure depends on your loan, your lender's fees, title insurance, your state's taxes and how much goes into escrow, which is why this calculator itemises them.
What's included in closing costs?
The Loan Estimate groups them as: A origination charges (including points), B services you can't shop for (appraisal, credit report), C services you can shop for (title, settlement), E taxes and government fees (recording, transfer taxes), F prepaids (homeowners insurance, prepaid interest, property taxes), G the initial escrow deposit, and H other costs such as owner's title insurance and inspections.
What is prepaid interest?
Interest on your loan from the closing day to the end of that month, paid at closing because mortgage payments are made in arrears: loan × rate ÷ 365 × days. Closing late in the month means fewer days to prepay.
Who pays the transfer tax?
It depends on the state and your contract. New York's 0.4% transfer tax falls on the seller, but its 1% mansion tax on homes of $1 million or more falls on the buyer; Washington's excise tax is usually paid by the seller; Virginia's recordation tax by the buyer and its grantor tax by the seller; Vermont's transfer tax by the buyer. For other states, enter the rate and who pays.
Can the seller pay my closing costs?
Often, as a seller credit or concession agreed in the contract. Enter it under the fees and it comes off your cash to close; on the seller side it's a cost that reduces the net proceeds. Some loan programs limit how much the seller can contribute, so ask your lender.
How much does a seller pay at closing?
Freddie Mac puts real estate commission at typically 3% to 8% of the sale price, and other fees and taxes at 2% to 4%. Commissions are negotiable. Switch to Seller to see your net proceeds after the commission, transfer tax, other costs and your mortgage payoff.
