Buyer Closing Costs in Winter Garden / Orange County, FL (2026): Who Pays What
Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando, Orange County.
Image: Jared Jones Team
Quick answer
In Orange County, the seller usually pays the doc stamps on the deed and the buyer pays the taxes on the mortgage, the lender’s title policy, recording, loan and inspection costs, under the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract. On a $607,500 home, the ZIP 34787 median sale (Stellar MLS, Oct 2026), with 20% down, the state taxes on the loan come to $2,673: $1,701 in doc stamps on the note and $972 in intangible tax (Florida Statutes). The owner’s title premium is $3,112.50, paid by whichever side the contract names.
Closing-cost dashboard (Florida rates, 2026)
Doc stamps on deed
per $100 of price
Doc stamps on mortgage note
per $100 of loan
Intangible tax on mortgage
of the loan amount
Owner’s title premium at $607,500
state-set rate
Rates from ss. 201.02, 201.08 and 199.133, Florida Statutes, and Rule 69O-186.003, F.A.C. Example price is the ZIP 34787 median sale, Stellar MLS, Oct 2026.
| Fact | Orange County, FL |
|---|---|
| Example price | $607,500 (ZIP 34787 median sale) |
| Doc stamps on deed | 70¢ per $100; $4,252.50 at $607,500; seller pays on the AS IS contract |
| Doc stamps on mortgage note | 35¢ per $100; $1,701 on a $486,000 loan |
| Intangible tax on mortgage | 2 mills; $972 on a $486,000 loan |
| Owner’s title policy premium | $5.75 per $1,000 to $100,000, then $5.00 per $1,000; $3,112.50 at $607,500 |
| Lender’s title policy (issued with owner’s) | $25 minimum premium, plus endorsements |
| Who pays the owner’s policy | the box checked in contract ¶9(c) |
| New-home title discount | credit for the builder’s prior loan policy; $200 minimum |
| Recording fees | set per page by Florida law; listed on your Loan Estimate |
| HOA estoppel / HOA transfer | seller pays estoppel; buyer pays application and transfer |
Sources: Stellar MLS, Oct 2026; s. 201.02, F.S.; s. 201.08, F.S.; s. 199.133, F.S.; Rule 69O-186.003; FR/Bar AS IS contract; s. 28.24, F.S.
What does a buyer pay at closing in Orange County?
The standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract lists who pays each cost in paragraph 9. The buyer pays the taxes and recording fees on the mortgage, the deed recording fee, loan costs, the appraisal, inspections, the survey, the lender’s title policy, property insurance, and any HOA application or transfer fee. The seller pays the deed doc stamps, the HOA estoppel fee and the cost of curing title problems. The owner’s title policy goes to whichever side the parties pick, and each side pays its own closing-services fees.
| Cost | Who pays (AS IS contract) | Example amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doc stamps on deed | Seller | $4,252.50 |
| Doc stamps on mortgage note | Buyer | $1,701.00 |
| Intangible tax on mortgage | Buyer | $972.00 |
| Owner’s title policy premium | Seller or buyer, per ¶9(c) | $3,112.50 |
| Lender’s title policy premium | Buyer | $25 minimum, plus endorsements |
| Recording the deed and mortgage | Buyer | by page count; on your Loan Estimate |
| Lender fees and appraisal | Buyer | on your Loan Estimate |
| Inspections and survey | Buyer | by provider quote |
| Homeowners insurance | Buyer | by insurer quote |
| Prepaid interest and escrow for taxes and insurance | Buyer | set by closing date and the tax bill |
| HOA estoppel certificate | Seller | set by the association |
| HOA application or transfer fee | Buyer | set by the association |
| Closing services from the title agent | Each side pays its own | by provider |
Sources: FR/Bar AS IS contract (ASIS-7) ¶9; ss. 201.02, 201.08, 199.133, F.S.; Rule 69O-186.003. The loan example uses $486,000 (80% of $607,500).
How are Florida doc stamps calculated?
Doc stamps on the deed are 70 cents per $100 of the price, rounded up to the next $100, in every Florida county except Miami-Dade (s. 201.02, Florida Statutes; Florida Department of Revenue). On $607,500 that is 6,075 units times $0.70, or $4,252.50, which the seller pays under the AS IS contract.
Doc stamps on the mortgage note are 35 cents per $100 of the loan (s. 201.08). On a $486,000 loan that is $1,701. The intangible tax adds 2 mills on the same loan, or $972 (s. 199.133). Together, the buyer’s state taxes on that loan are $2,673.
How much is title insurance in Florida?
Florida sets the title premium by rule, so it is the same at every title company for the same policy. The owner’s policy is $5.75 per $1,000 of coverage up to $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1 million, with a $100 minimum (Rule 69O-186.003, F.A.C.; Florida Department of Financial Services). At $607,500 that is $575 plus $2,537.50, or $3,112.50. When the lender’s policy is issued at the same time, its premium is a $25 minimum for coverage up to the owner’s policy amount.
If the seller already has an owner’s policy, a lower reissue rate can apply: $3.30 per $1,000 up to $100,000 and $3.00 per $1,000 up to $1 million (Rule 69O-186.003). Title agents also charge separate search and closing-services fees, which are not set by the rule. Call 407-706-5000 and we can get you a title estimate for a specific home.
What costs depend on the loan?
Lender charges, the appraisal, prepaid interest and the starting balance of your escrow account all depend on your loan, your lender and your closing date. Your lender must send a Loan Estimate within three business days of your application that lists these costs (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). Compare Loan Estimates from more than one lender on the same day.
The escrow deposit is tied to the property tax bill. A resale home’s new bill resets to full value after the sale, so it is usually higher than the seller’s. Our new construction vs resale guide walks through that change.
How are closing costs different on new construction?
Builders use their own purchase agreements, so the builder’s contract, not the Florida Realtors form, sets who pays what. Read the closing-cost section before you sign it. On a newly built home’s first sale, Florida title rules credit the owner’s premium with what the builder paid for its prior loan policies, with a $200 minimum premium (Rule 69O-186.003).
Builder incentives toward closing costs or a lower rate often require the builder’s affiliated lender. M/I Homes’ 5.875% rate offer at Lake Star at Ovation, for example, runs through M/I Financial and requires 20% down and a 720 credit score (M/I Homes, Oct 2026). If a Horizon West community has a CDD, Florida requires the initial-sale contract to disclose it (s. 190.048, F.S.). Our buyer’s agent guide covers how to compare builder offers.
Can the seller pay some of my closing costs?
Yes, if it’s written into the contract as a seller credit and your loan program allows it. Every loan program limits how much a seller can contribute based on the loan type and down payment. Ask your lender for the limit before you write the offer, so the credit isn’t larger than the lender will allow.
Frequently asked questions
How much are buyer closing costs in Winter Garden, FL?
There isn't one reliable average, because lender fees, prepaid interest and escrow depend on the loan and the closing date. The state-set pieces are fixed: on a $607,500 home with 20% down, a buyer's mortgage doc stamps are $1,701 and the intangible tax is $972, and the owner's title policy premium is $3,112.50 if the contract has the buyer pay for it. Your lender's Loan Estimate lists the rest.
Who pays doc stamps on the deed in Florida?
Under the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract, the seller pays the deed doc stamps, which are 70 cents per $100 of the price in Orange County (s. 201.02, Florida Statutes). On a $607,500 sale that is $4,252.50. The buyer pays the stamps on the mortgage note.
Who pays for title insurance in Orange County?
It depends on the box checked in the contract. The Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract lets the parties choose whether the seller or the buyer pays for the owner's policy and picks the closing agent. The buyer pays for the lender's policy. Florida sets the premium by rule: $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1 million (Rule 69O-186.003, F.A.C.).
What is the Florida intangible tax on a mortgage?
It is a one-time tax of 2 mills, or $2 per $1,000, on the amount of a new mortgage recorded in Florida (s. 199.133, Florida Statutes). On a $486,000 loan it is $972. It is paid at closing along with the 35-cent doc stamps on the note.
Are closing costs different on new construction?
The buckets are similar, but the builder's own purchase agreement decides who pays what, not the Florida Realtors form. Florida title rules give a new-home purchase discount on the first sale of a newly built home, with a $200 minimum premium (Rule 69O-186.003). Builder incentives toward closing costs often require the builder's affiliated lender, so get them in writing.
Can the seller or builder pay my closing costs?
Often, yes, through a seller credit written into the contract. How much a seller can contribute is limited by your loan program and down payment. M/I Homes' own rate offer, for example, says the seller's contribution is limited to agency limits (M/I Homes, Oct 2026).
Do cash buyers pay doc stamps and intangible tax?
Not the loan-related ones. The 35-cent stamps on the note and the intangible tax apply only to a mortgage, so a cash buyer skips them. Title, recording, inspection and HOA fees still apply.
Sources
- Stellar MLS, ZIP 34787 closings Oct 2025 to Oct 2, 2026, pulled Oct 2, 2026; analysis by Jared Jones Team
- Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract (ASIS-7), ¶9
- FL Dept. of Revenue, Documentary Stamp Tax
- s. 201.02, F.S.; s. 201.08; s. 199.133; s. 28.24; s. 190.048
- Rule 69O-186.003, F.A.C., title insurance rates
- FL Dept. of Financial Services, title insurance guide
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Loan Estimate
- M/I Homes: Lake Star at Ovation, rate offer, checked Oct 2, 2026
Related Wave 1 guides
- Winter Garden & Horizon West Real Estate (2026) hub
- Seller closing costs in Winter Garden (2026)
- How long it takes to sell a home in Winter Garden
- New construction vs resale in Horizon West (2026)
- Working with a buyer’s agent in Horizon West (2026)
- Horizon West CDD fees by community (2026)
- Winter Garden Property Taxes Explained (2026)
- Cost of Living in Winter Garden, FL (2026)
Buying or selling in Winter Garden or Horizon West?
Get street-level pricing, an honest commute read and a clear plan to close. Call or text 407-706-5000.