Selling a $430,000 Apopka home with a $250,000 mortgage payoff nets about $148,200 if you agree to a 3% listing fee, offer 2.5% to the buyer's broker and close on June 30. About $31,800 (7.4% of the price) goes to those two fees, $3,010 of documentary stamps, a $2,225 owner's title policy, $700 of settlement and lien-search fees and a $2,219 tax credit to the buyer on a $4,500 tax bill. Both broker fees are negotiable, so your number can differ.
What comes off the sale price
Broker fees. These are fully negotiable and are not set by law. The sliders start at 3% and 2.5% only so the sheet has something to show; there is no standard rate. Since August 2024 (Stellar MLS on August 6, the national rule on August 17), offers of buyer-broker compensation are not shown anywhere in the MLS, and a buyer signs a written agreement with their own broker before touring. Whether you offer anything toward the buyer's broker is your decision, made in the contract. Set that slider to zero to see the difference.
Documentary stamps on the deed. Florida charges $0.70 per $100 of the price, rounded up to the next $100, in every county except Miami-Dade. On $430,000 that is $3,010. The seller pays it by custom under the standard FAR/BAR contract.
Owner's title insurance. Florida sets the premium by rule: $5.75 per $1,000 on the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from there to $1 million. That is $2,225 on $430,000 at every title company. In Orange County the seller customarily pays for the owner's policy and chooses the closing agent, though it is negotiable. If you bought less than three years ago and can produce your own owner's policy, the reissue rate ($3.30 and $3.00 per $1,000) applies up to the amount of that old policy. The tool applies it to the whole price ($1,320 here), so your real figure sits between the two.
Settlement fee and lien search. The sheet uses $475 and $225. Published 2026 ranges for the Orlando market are $350 to $600 for the settlement fee and $150 to $300 for a municipal lien search. These are not regulated, so ask the title company.
HOA estoppel letter. State law caps the fee at $299 per association through June 30, 2027, plus up to $119 for a rush and up to $179 if the account is delinquent. A home with a master and a sub-association pays twice.
Property tax proration. Florida property tax is paid in arrears, so at closing you credit the buyer for January 1 through closing day. A June 30 closing is 180 days: $2,219 on a $4,500 bill.
What this sheet leaves out
Federal tax on the gain, moving costs and any second mortgage or lien. If the home was your main residence for two of the last five years, up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly) is excluded from federal tax, and Florida has no personal income tax. Ask a tax professional about your own situation. To price the home first, try the home value bracket; for the next purchase, see the buyer closing cost calculator, the guides and the neighborhood pages.
Where the numbers come from
| Input | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Documentary stamps on a deed | $0.70 per $100 (current November 2026) | Florida Dept. of Revenue |
| Title insurance premium | $5.75 / $5.00 per $1,000; reissue $3.30 / $3.00 | Fla. Admin. Code 69O-186.003 |
| Who pays for the owner's policy | Seller, by custom in Orange County (negotiable) | FAR/BAR "As Is" contract, Section 9 |
| Settlement fee; lien search | $350 to $600; $150 to $300 (2026, Orlando market) | Pozek, seller closing costs in Florida 2026 |
| HOA estoppel fee cap | $299; plus $119 rush and $179 delinquent account (through June 30, 2027) | Florida DBPR |
| Broker compensation in the MLS | Not shown in any field since August 6, 2024 | Stellar MLS |
| Home sale exclusion | $250,000 single; $500,000 joint (2026 sales) | IRS Topic 701 |
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to sell a house in Florida?
Before broker fees, the example above costs $8,154, or 1.9% of a $430,000 price: documentary stamps, the owner's title policy, settlement and lien-search fees and the tax proration. Broker fees are added on top and are whatever you negotiate. Repairs and credits to the buyer are separate.
Does the seller have to pay the buyer's agent in Florida?
No. Commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Since August 2024 an offer of buyer-broker compensation cannot appear in the MLS, and the buyer's written agreement with their own broker states what that broker is paid. A buyer can still ask the seller to cover some or all of it in the offer, and you can accept, counter or decline.
Who pays for title insurance in Orange County, Florida?
By custom the seller pays for the owner's policy and chooses the closing agent, and the buyer pays $25 for the lender's policy issued at the same time, plus endorsements. It is a custom, not a rule, and the contract can say otherwise. Builders of new homes often shift the owner's policy to the buyer.
Will I owe capital gains tax when I sell my Florida home?
Often not. If you owned and lived in the home for two of the five years before the sale, the first $250,000 of gain is excluded from federal tax, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly, and Florida has no personal income tax. A seller who is a foreign person generally has 15% of the price withheld under FIRPTA. This is general information, not tax advice.
Want a net sheet built on real comparable sales and your actual payoff? Ask Robert or call 352-504-6371.
