California buyer closing costs
What a buyer brings to closing in California: lender fees, title, prepaids and the down payment, on a typical financed purchase.
- Closing costs on $800,000
- About $9,614
- Owner's title policy
- Seller pays
- Cash to close, 20% down
- About $179,155
Example: $800,000 purchase in California
$800,000 is close to the typical California home value. With a $640,000 conventional loan, closing costs come to about $9,614 (1.2% of the price) and prepaids to about $9,566.
| Line | Buyer |
|---|---|
| Down payment (20%) | $160,000 |
| Lender's title insurance policy | $424 |
| Lender-required endorsements | $100 |
| Escrow fee | $750 |
| Deed recording fee | $100 |
| Mortgage recording fee | $130 |
| Loan origination (1%) | $6,400 |
| Appraisal | $550 |
| Credit report | $60 |
| Underwriting / processing | $995 |
| Flood certification | $25 |
| Tax service fee | $80 |
| Closing costs | $9,614 |
| Prepaid interest | $3,533.15 |
| Homeowner's insurance (12 months) | $3,200 |
| Insurance escrow reserve (2 mo) | $533.33 |
| Property tax escrow reserve (3 mo) | $2,300 |
| Prepaids and escrow reserves | $9,566.48 |
| Property tax credit from seller | −$25.21 |
| Estimated cash to close | $179,155.27 |
Run it with your own numbers: choose the county, loan type, rate and closing date.
Buyer closing costs by county
Buyers pay the owner's title policy by custom in 11 of 58 California counties (Alameda County, Amador County, Contra Costa County, Lake County, Marin County, Mendocino County, Napa County, San Francisco County and others), which is the biggest reason buyer costs differ by county.
| County | Owner's title paid by | Buyer closing costs | Cash to close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Alpine County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Amador County | Buyer | $12,324 | $181,865 |
| Butte County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Calaveras County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Colusa County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Contra Costa County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Del Norte County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| El Dorado County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Fresno County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Glenn County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Humboldt County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Imperial County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Inyo County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Kern County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Kings County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Lake County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Lassen County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Los Angeles County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Madera County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Marin County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Mariposa County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Mendocino County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Merced County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Modoc County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Mono County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Monterey County | Seller | $8,864 | $178,405 |
| Napa County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Nevada County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Orange County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Placer County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Plumas County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Riverside County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Sacramento County | Seller | $8,864 | $178,405 |
| San Benito County | Seller | $8,864 | $178,405 |
| San Bernardino County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| San Diego County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| San Francisco County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| San Joaquin County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| San Luis Obispo County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| San Mateo County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Santa Barbara County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Santa Clara County | Seller | $8,864 | $178,405 |
| Santa Cruz County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Shasta County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Sierra County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Siskiyou County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Solano County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Sonoma County | Buyer | $13,074 | $182,615 |
| Stanislaus County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Sutter County | Seller | $8,864 | $178,405 |
| Tehama County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Trinity County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Tulare County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Tuolumne County | Split 50/50 | $10,969 | $180,510 |
| Ventura County | Seller | $9,614 | $179,155 |
| Yolo County | Seller | $8,864 | $178,405 |
| Yuba County | Seller | $8,864 | $178,405 |
What else changes a California buyer's costs
- Every county except San Francisco charges the documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of price, customarily paid by the seller. Dozens of cities add their own tax on top, from about $2 per $1,000 to several percent in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco, and Los Angeles adds Measure ULA on sales above $5.4 million.
- Who pays the owner's title policy and the escrow fee depends on the county. In most of Southern California the seller pays the owner's policy; in much of the Bay Area and Northern California the buyer pays it and escrow is split or paid by the buyer.
- Property taxes run on a July 1 fiscal year and are paid in two installments, due November 1 and February 1. Depending on the closing date the seller may have prepaid part of the year and get a credit back, or owe a proration to the buyer.
California buyer questions
How much are buyer closing costs in California?
On an $800,000 home with 20% down, a California buyer pays about $9,614 in closing costs (1.2% of the price), plus about $9,566 of prepaid insurance, interest and escrow reserves. Estimated cash to close, including the $160,000 down payment, is about $179,155.
Does the buyer pay transfer tax in California?
By custom, no. The California transfer tax on the deed is a seller cost, although some Bay Area cities split their city tax between buyer and seller.
Who pays for the owner's title policy in California?
Southern California: seller pays the owner's policy; many Northern California counties: buyer pays or split (see county).
What is the difference between closing costs and cash to close?
Closing costs are the fees and taxes for the loan, title and recording. Cash to close adds the down payment and prepaid items such as insurance, interest and escrow reserves, then subtracts credits such as the seller's property tax proration and the earnest money already deposited.
Give your buyer a cash-to-close estimate.
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