An itemized home-purchase estimate using the dollar amounts you enter. Starting fees are examples, not local quotes. Includes prepaids and initial escrow funding; the down payment is shown separately. Assumes closing costs are paid in cash, with no financed costs or other settlement adjustments.
Gross closing costs = lender fees + title fees + required services + government charges + prepaids + escrow + other costs. Net costs = gross costs − credits. Remaining cash to close = down payment + net costs − closing costs already paid − earnest money deposit.
Start with your own budget and a written lender quote. Change one input at a time to see what drives the result. Keep a separate allowance for costs that are not included in this tool.
Use lender and settlement-agent quotes for your location. Credit limits and eligible charges depend on your loan and contract. Enter each charge once; earnest money is separate from fees already paid. This estimate excludes financed costs, prorations, refunds, and other settlement adjustments. If prior payments exceed the modeled amount, remaining cash is shown as $0; no refund is calculated. Confirm final cash to close on your Closing Disclosure.
How to estimate your closing costs
Enter the fees from your lender and settlement agent, including prepaid expenses and initial escrow funding. Keep each expense in one category so it is not counted twice. Include any applicable upfront mortgage insurance or funding fee paid in cash under other closing costs; this tool does not calculate those charges automatically.
Closing costs and cash to close are different
Closing costs exclude the down payment. Cash to close also accounts for your down payment, eligible credits, and money already paid. Enter an earnest money deposit separately from appraisal or other closing fees you have paid. Credits reduce eligible costs and do not automatically reduce the required down payment. Confirm the credit amount your lender can apply before entering it here.
Review the CFPB’s Closing Disclosure explainer to compare the final charges and cash to close with your estimate. Local taxes, contract adjustments, and financed charges can change the final amount due. Keep moving expenses and emergency savings separate from this purchase-cost estimate.
What are the closing costs, and who pays them—the buyer or the seller?
Closing costs are the charges associated with completing a property purchase and, when applicable, arranging a mortgage. Both buyers and sellers can have expenses at settlement. There is no single nationwide rule assigning every charge to one side: the purchase contract, local requirements, and the services each party uses determine the allocation. Ask the settlement agent for an itemized statement showing who pays each charge. The American Bar Association’s guide to the closing describes common settlement expenses.
Costs a buyer may need to budget for
With a mortgage, buyer expenses can include lender origination fees, optional discount points, an appraisal, and other required services. Title and settlement work, attorney services, recording charges, and transfer taxes may also apply. Which party pays a particular title policy or tax can vary, so confirm the allocation rather than relying on a general rule.
Prepaid interest, insurance premiums, and initial escrow funding can increase the money needed at closing. These are different from service fees: some pay expenses in advance or establish funds for future bills. This calculator groups them into the overall closing-cost budget and keeps the down payment separate. Avoid entering the same tax or insurance payment in both prepaids and escrow.
Costs a seller may pay
A seller may have agreed brokerage fees, legal or settlement charges, applicable transfer taxes, and costs to clear title. Paying off an existing mortgage also reduces the seller’s proceeds, although that payoff is separate from the fees charged to complete the sale. Property tax and other prorations can create amounts owed by either party. Review the contract and settlement statement for the actual split.
How seller and lender credits work
A seller can agree to contribute toward eligible buyer expenses. This contribution must be negotiated and is subject to the mortgage program’s limits; it is not an unlimited source of funds for a down payment. Lender credits can also offset costs, often in exchange for a higher interest rate. Compare the upfront reduction with the ongoing payment before choosing an offer. The CFPB’s Closing Disclosure explainer shows where seller-paid charges and credits appear.
Estimate the cash you still need
For a simple cash-paid-cost purchase, add the down payment and your closing costs, subtract eligible credits, then deduct your earnest money deposit and closing fees already paid. For example, $60,000 down plus $9,000 in costs, less a $2,000 seller credit and a $5,000 deposit, leaves $62,000 to bring to closing. This illustration assumes no other adjustments. It is a cash-to-close figure, not a $62,000 fee.
Enter only the buyer’s expenses in this calculator. It does not estimate seller proceeds, financed charges, or tax prorations. Replace the example amounts with quotes and use the final settlement figures to confirm what you need to pay.
