WHAT COSTS ARE RELATED TO THE SALE:
Mortgage Pay Off: Before the closing, you will sign a release for the Title Company or Attorney to get the amount that will be owed at the day of closing. This will allow the Closing Company to prepare the closing documents and they will issue a check out of your proceeds at the closing to pay off your outstanding mortgage.
Lines of credit or Equity lines: As with the mortgage pay off, you will have to authorize the closing company to get this information. If there is any amounts owed, they also will be paid off and any lines of credit closed.
Prepayment Penalty: Often, sellers think that all that is owed is the amount showing on their last statement. This is not always true. A prepayment penalty could be in your mortgage. You may also owe interest depending on the day of the month that you close.
Unpaid Taxes/Liens: This is why title work is important prior to closing to see if there are any liens or unpaid taxes on the title. These items will also have to be paid the day of closing. The closing company cuts these checks out of your proceeds and pays them on your behalf.
Special Assessments: Special assessments are things like water, sewer, road or other local government improvements that were assessed to the property. In some cases they must be paid off, in others, they can be assumed by the buyer. If they are to be paid off, again the closing company will pay these out of your proceeds.
Municipal Lien Search: Looks for unrecorded liens, code violations, outstanding property tax bills, open and expired permits and unpaid utility bills.
Title Search Fee: Covers the cost for conducting the title searches
Settlement/Closing Fee: Covers the administrative costs for handling the real estate transaction.
Owner's Title Insurance: Protects the new homeowner if someone sues and says they have a claim against the home from before they purchased it.
Real Estate Commissions: A fee paid to listing agent(s) for their services in selling the property.
Transaction Fee: A fee to Century 21 Carioti for document retention that is required by Florida Law for 5 years.
Deed Tax/Stamp: This is a tax rate for documents that transfer an interest in real property. It is $.70 per $100 of the total consideration paid
