Who pays closing costs in Florida?
Short Answer
Both sides. Sellers customarily pay deed stamps and commissions. Buyers customarily pay loan costs, note stamps, intangible tax, and lender title. Owner's title follows local custom and the contract. Everything is negotiable in the purchase contract.
Who pays closing costs in Florida?
Both sides pay something. Florida does not assign every line by statute the way a blog table pretends. Tampa Bay custom is the starting point. The signed contract is the rule on that file.
Sellers customarily pay documentary stamp tax on the deed and the brokerage compensation they negotiated. Buyers on a financed file customarily pay loan costs, documentary stamp tax on the note, intangible tax, and lender title. Owner's title follows local custom and Paragraph 9 of the form you actually sign.
I list through Realty of America. I originate through PMF, Inc. Those companies stay separate. Neither one rewrites Florida tax law.
What this looks like in Pinellas
Deed stamps in most of Florida, including Pinellas and Hillsborough, are commonly quoted at $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price. Confirm the current rate with the closing agent on your file. Note stamps and intangible tax show up when there is a new mortgage. Cash buyers skip the note taxes and still see deed stamps unless the contract moves that line.
HOA estoppels, condo questionnaires, and CDD estoppels add Pinellas and SouthShore friction that national charts skip.
Step-by-step
- Ask for a seller net sheet before you list, or a Loan Estimate before you write.
- Separate brokerage compensation from Florida taxes from title from prepaids.
- Write credits in the contract if you want a seller to help the buyer. Do not assume the lender will allow the full ask.
- Recheck the closing disclosure. Custom does not override the signed form.
Custom versus contract
| Item | Common Tampa Bay starting point | What actually controls |
|---|---|---|
| Deed stamps | Seller | Contract |
| Note stamps and intangible tax | Buyer on a new loan | Loan plus contract |
| Brokerage compensation | Negotiated, often a seller line | Listing and buyer agreements |
| Owner's title | Local custom | Contract |
| HOA or CDD estoppel | Often seller | Association plus contract |
What you control versus what you do not
You control what you negotiate. You do not control a program cap on seller credits. You do not control a municipal lien the title search finds late.
Common mistakes
Calling custom a law. Mixing cash-to-close with seller net. Promising a credit the loan program will not allow. Treating Buyer Credit as a closing-cost shift before the file is represented and the cap is run.
Next step
Book a consultation for a net sheet or a buyer estimate. Apply when you need the loan side.
This page is consumer education, not legal advice or a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity applies.
Jonathan Loescher, Realtor SL3546365 and NMLS 2621894. Realty of America. PMF, Inc. NMLS 1980. 29399 US Highway 19 Suite 150, Clearwater, FL 33761. (727) 729-2961.