Do I pay closing costs on a Tampa Bay cash sale? (The line items explained.)
Most sellers in Tampa Bay assume "closing costs" are this giant unknowable expense that shows up at the title company and eats half their proceeds. That's because most sellers have only ever sold a house once, and the only frame of reference they have is the listed sale they did fifteen years ago when their realtor took 3% and the buyer's agent took another 3%. A cash sale doesn't work like that. The fees are smaller. The split is different. And on a clean cash deal in Hillsborough or Pinellas, the seller usually pays nothing beyond their own mortgage payoff.
Here's every line item that shows up on a Florida HUD-1 (now formally the ALTA Settlement Statement), who traditionally pays it, and who pays it on a cash deal.
The line items, in plain English
| Line item | What it is | Traditional payer | On a cash sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title search fee | Cost of pulling 30-50 years of public records on the property | Buyer | Buyer (us) |
| Owner's title insurance | One-time premium protecting the new owner from title defects. ~$5.75 per $1,000 up to $100K, ~$5.00 per $1,000 above | Seller (in most FL counties) | Buyer (us) |
| Doc stamps on deed | State excise tax on the deed transfer. $0.70 per $100 of sale price | Seller | Buyer (us) |
| Recording fees | County clerk fee to file the deed. Usually $30 to $80 | Buyer | Buyer (us) |
| Settlement / closing fee | Title company's fee for running the closing. $400 to $800 typically | Split or buyer | Buyer (us) |
| Transfer tax (HOA / county) | Some counties or HOAs charge a small transfer fee | Varies | Buyer (us) |
| Existing mortgage payoff | What your lender is owed, including interest through close | Seller | Seller (deducted from proceeds) |
| Liens / judgments | Tax liens, mechanic's liens, judgment liens recorded against property | Seller | Seller (deducted from proceeds) |
| Pro-rated property taxes | Your share of the year's taxes from Jan 1 through closing day | Seller | Seller (deducted from proceeds) |
| HOA estoppel / dues | Letter from HOA showing balance plus any unpaid dues | Seller | Seller (deducted from proceeds) |
| Realtor commission | 5-6% of sale price on a listed sale | Seller | $0 (no agents on a direct cash sale) |
What this means in dollar terms
Take a $250,000 cash sale on a Brandon ranch. The doc stamps alone are $1,750. The title insurance is roughly $1,338. Add the title search ($150), settlement fee ($600), and recording ($60) and you're at about $3,900 in closing costs. On a traditional listed sale, the seller would also pay $15,000 in agent commissions on top. So the math is:
Listed sale closing costs: ~$18,900 (out of seller's pocket).
Cash sale closing costs covered by buyer: ~$3,900. Seller pays: $0.
That's a roughly $19,000 swing on a $250K house, and it's the part of the cash-sale economics that most sellers underrate when they're comparing offers to retail.
See what your Tampa Bay home is worth in cash.
Get my offer →Three things that are still your responsibility
Even with the buyer covering closing costs, three numbers still come out of your sale proceeds:
- Your mortgage payoff. Your lender wires a payoff statement to the title company a few days before close. That includes principal balance, interest accrued through closing day, and any prepayment penalty (rare on residential mortgages but check). The title company pays it directly out of the buyer's wire.
- Liens against the property. Tax liens (federal, state, county), mechanic's liens, HOA liens, judgment liens. The title search uncovers them. They get paid off the top at closing. Full breakdown of how Florida lien sales work here.
- Pro-rated property taxes. Florida property taxes run on a calendar year. If you close on June 30, you owe taxes for January 1 through June 30. The buyer takes over from July 1 forward.
Add those three up, subtract from your contracted sale price, and you have your wire amount. We send you that math the day before closing. No surprises at the table.
What actually shows up on the HUD
On closing day you'll see a one or two-page Settlement Statement. The left column is "buyer." The right column is "seller." Each row is a line item with a debit or credit. Yours will look like this:
- Credit: Sale price (the contracted amount)
- Debit: Existing mortgage payoff
- Debit: Pro-rated property taxes
- Debit: Any liens or HOA dues
- = Net to seller: Wired to your account
The buyer side will have all the closing costs we covered (title, doc stamps, recording, settlement fee). You'll see them on the page but they don't deduct from your number. They're out of our pocket.
What about your equity?
The "net to seller" number is your equity check. If you bought the house for $180K with $40K down 10 years ago and it sold for $250K with a $130K mortgage payoff, you wire roughly $120K minus pro-rated taxes. Here's the full breakdown of where your equity actually shows up in a cash sale.
And if you want the bigger picture on the whole process, the complete Tampa Bay cash sale guide connects all of this to the rest of the closing flow. If you're wondering who runs the closing in the first place, we covered that here too.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay closing costs when selling my house for cash?
On a typical Tampa Bay cash sale with a reputable buyer, no. Most buyers cover title, doc stamps, recording, and settlement fees. You only pay your mortgage payoff, liens, and pro-rated taxes (deducted from proceeds).
What is the doc stamp tax in Florida?
Florida charges $0.70 per $100 of sale price on the deed. On a $250K sale, that's $1,750. Traditionally the seller pays. On a cash deal where the buyer covers closing costs, the buyer absorbs it.
How much are typical closing costs for a seller in Florida?
On a listed sale, 6% to 8% of sale price (mostly agent commissions). On a cash sale where the buyer covers costs, sellers typically pay 0% beyond their mortgage payoff.
What is title insurance and who pays for it?
A one-time premium that protects the new owner against title defects. ~$5.75 per $1,000 up to $100K, ~$5.00 per $1,000 above. Seller traditionally pays in Florida; buyer pays on a cash sale.
What does the seller actually pay on a cash sale?
Three things, deducted from proceeds: existing mortgage payoff, any liens, and pro-rated property taxes. Everything else is typically the buyer's expense.