Closing Costs Calculator
The down payment is the number everyone budgets for. Closing costs are the number that catches people out a week before they wire. This gives you a line-by-line estimate and your real cash to close, so you can check it against the Loan Estimate when it arrives. Nothing is saved, and there is no email wall.
Your $32,000 down payment plus $14,009 in closing costs. This is the wire you send, not the down payment alone.
4.4% of the purchase price.
Your own money parked ahead of bills you would owe anyway, not a fee.
Estimates only, for education. Title fees, transfer taxes, and attorney requirements vary enormously by state and county, so the defaults here are national middle-of-the-road figures rather than your numbers. Your Loan Estimate arrives within three business days of applying, and it is the document that actually binds. Compare it against this.
How to use this
Estimate first, then verify. Within three business days of your application, the lender must send a Loan Estimate, a standardized form that lists these same categories. Its purpose is comparison shopping, and it only works if you got more than one. Use this calculator to know roughly what to expect, then hold each Loan Estimate against it and ask about anything that looks out of line.
Transfer tax is the biggest regional swing. Some states charge nothing. Others charge more than 2% of the price, which on a $320,000 home is over $6,400 from a single line item. If you are comparing markets, this belongs in the comparison.
Two levers move your cash to close most: a seller credit negotiated into the contract, and closing later in the month, which cuts prepaid interest. Neither is free money, but both are real. For the wider view, read closing costs on an investment property, walk the closing process step by step, and understand what you are buying in title insurance explained. To see how this fits your overall budget, use the affordability calculator.
Closing cost questions
How much are closing costs for a buyer?
Typically 2% to 5% of the purchase price, though the range is wide because transfer taxes and title practices vary enormously by state. On a $320,000 purchase that is roughly $6,400 to $16,000, on top of the down payment. This calculator itemizes it rather than handing you a percentage, because the percentage hides which line you can actually negotiate.
What is the difference between closing costs and cash to close?
Cash to close is your down payment plus your closing costs, and it is the number you actually wire. People budget the down payment, forget the closing costs, and find themselves several thousand dollars short a week before closing. The headline figure on this calculator is deliberately cash to close for that reason.
Are prepaids and escrow really a cost?
Not in the same sense as a fee. Escrow reserves are your own money parked ahead of property tax and insurance bills you would owe regardless. You are not losing it, you are prepaying it. It is still cash you need at the table, which is why it is counted here and broken out separately so you can see the distinction.
Which closing costs can I negotiate?
Lender fees are the most negotiable: origination, underwriting, and processing charges differ meaningfully between lenders for the same loan, which is the strongest argument for getting more than one Loan Estimate. Title and settlement can often be shopped too. Government recording and transfer taxes are fixed, and prepaids are set by your tax and insurance bills.
Can the seller pay my closing costs?
Often yes, through a seller credit or concession negotiated into the contract. Loan programs cap how much a seller may contribute, commonly 3% to 6% of the price depending on the loan type and your down payment. Enter it in the seller credit field to see what it does to your cash to close.
Nobody should be surprised at the closing table.
Week four of the 28-day course covers inspection, offers, title, insurance, and closing, one lesson and one task at a time. Or grab the free strategy guide to see the whole path first.