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Georgia Closing Costs for Buyers: What You'll Pay
Georgia closing costs for buyers: Transfer tax: $0.10 per $100 ($350 on a $350K purchase; very low). Intangibles tax on new mortgage: $1.50 per $500 of loan ($600 on $200K mortgage). Attorney closing fee: $500-$800. Title insurance (lender's required; owner's recommended): $500-$1,500 depending on purchase price. Total buyer closing costs: approximately 2-3% of purchase price. Georgia Dream DPA available to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™.
Georgia Closing Costs for Buyers: What You'll Pay
Georgia has a uniquely low transfer tax but a separate mortgage intangibles tax. Here is the complete cost picture for Georgia buyers.
Georgia's Unique Tax Structure at Closing
Transfer tax (Real Estate Transfer Tax): $0.10 per $100 of the purchase price, paid by the seller in Georgia (though negotiable). On a $350,000 purchase: $350. On a $600,000 purchase: $600. This is one of the lowest transfer taxes in the country. Intangibles tax (Mortgage Recording Tax): $1.50 per $500 of the principal balance of any new mortgage. This is paid by the buyer on the mortgage amount. Example: $300,000 mortgage: $300,000 ÷ $500 × $1.50 = $900 in intangibles tax. This tax applies to new purchase mortgages, refinances, and home equity loans. Georgia does not tax assumable mortgages (no new mortgage, no intangibles tax). The transfer tax vs intangibles tax dynamic: the low transfer tax ($350) is offset partially by the intangibles tax ($900 on a $300K mortgage). Net result: Georgia's combined closing tax burden is moderate — lower than high-transfer-tax states like Florida or New York, but not zero.
Attorney Closing Fee and Title Insurance
Attorney closing fee: as a required attorney-close state, every Georgia transaction includes an attorney closing fee. Typically $500–$800 for residential transactions, which includes document preparation, title examination, closing coordination, and recording. Title insurance: lender's title insurance is required; owner's title insurance is optional but strongly recommended. • Lender's policy: approximately $400–$900 depending on loan amount • Owner's policy (simultaneous issue): approximately $200–$600 additional • Both purchased simultaneously from the closing attorney Survey: may or may not be required. If the property has a recent survey in the county records, the title attorney may be able to use it. If a new survey is required: $400–$700.
Complete Georgia Buyer Closing Cost Estimate
On a $350,000 purchase with $315,000 mortgage (10% down): • Lender origination (1%): $3,150 • Appraisal: $600 • Attorney closing fee: $650 • Title insurance (lender's + owner's): $800 • Intangibles tax on mortgage: $945 • Transfer tax (seller pays, but may be negotiated): $350 • Survey (if required): $500 • Prepaid interest + insurance + escrow: $2,800 • Total estimated buyer closing costs: $9,445 (2.7% of purchase price) Georgia Dream DPA programs can provide up to $10,000 in assistance toward down payment and closing costs for qualifying buyers, which can cover the majority of these costs.
“The Georgia intangibles tax surprises many buyers who only looked at the low transfer tax headline. The intangibles tax is relatively modest on typical loan sizes but adds $600–1,500 to closing costs that buyers from some other states don't expect. I build it into every buyer's closing cost estimate from the first pre-approval conversation.”
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes®
How much are closing costs in Georgia for buyers?
Georgia buyer closing costs typically total 2-3% of the purchase price. Key costs: lender origination fees (0.5-1%), attorney closing fee ($500-$800, required by Georgia law), title insurance (lender's required + owner's recommended: $600-$1,500 combined), intangibles tax on new mortgage ($1.50 per $500 of loan balance), appraisal ($600), and prepaid items (insurance, interest, escrow). Georgia transfer tax ($0.10/$100) is typically paid by the seller. Georgia Dream DPA provides up to $10,000 for qualifying first-time buyers to offset these costs.
What is the intangibles tax in Georgia?
The Georgia intangibles tax is a state tax on the principal balance of any new mortgage or security deed, assessed at $1.50 per $500 of the loan amount. Examples: $200,000 loan = $600; $300,000 loan = $900; $500,000 loan = $1,500. It applies to purchase mortgages, refinances, and home equity loans. Assumable mortgages (where no new loan is created) are not subject to intangibles tax. The intangibles tax is paid by the borrower at closing and is separate from the real estate transfer tax.
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"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)