When buyers relocating to St. Augustine or Nocatee ask me what they'll need to bring to closing, the number is almost always bigger than they expected. Not because Florida is uniquely expensive — it's not — but because the cost structure is different from what most buyers have encountered in other states.

There are two taxes you'll pay in Florida that don't exist in most other states. There's a difference in who pays title insurance depending on whether you're buying resale or new construction. And there are prepaids that can quietly add several thousand dollars to your total.

Here's how it all actually works.

The Florida Taxes You've Never Heard Of

The first time most out-of-state buyers see their closing disclosure, two line items catch them off guard: documentary stamp tax on the note and nonrecurring intangible tax. Both are paid by the buyer when you're financing, and neither one exists in most other states.

Documentary stamp tax on the promissory note is $0.35 per $100 of your loan amount — or $3.50 per $1,000. On a $520,000 mortgage, that's $1,820. This goes to the state of Florida and is non-negotiable.

Nonrecurring intangible tax is 0.20% of your new mortgage — $2 per $1,000 of loan. On that same $520,000 loan, you'll pay $1,040. It's paid once at closing, never again, and it only applies when you're financing. Cash buyers don't pay it.

Together, these two taxes add up to roughly $2,860 on a $520,000 loan. I walk every relocation client through these numbers before we even go under contract — they're fully predictable once you know your loan amount, so there's no reason to be surprised at the closing table.

There's also a documentary stamp tax on the deed — $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price — but in a standard resale transaction in Northeast Florida, the seller pays this one. That changes in new construction, which I'll cover below.

Title Insurance: Who Pays Depends on the Transaction Type

Florida's title insurance premiums are set by the state and are the same regardless of which title company you use. The regulated rates are $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100,000 of coverage and $5.00 per $1,000 above that. On a $650,000 purchase, the owner's title policy premium works out to roughly $3,325.

Here's where buyers sometimes get confused: in a resale transaction in Northeast Florida, the seller customarily pays for the owner's title insurance policy. The custom here is that whichever party selects the title company pays the owner's policy premium — and in a standard resale, the seller chooses. (You can read more about how this compares to what sellers pay at closing in Florida.)

But when you finance the purchase, you'll pay for a separate lender's title insurance policy — the policy that protects your mortgage lender. That's typically $1,400–$1,800 on a $650,000 purchase, and it's a buyer cost in almost every transaction, regardless of whether you're buying resale or new construction.

In new construction, the rules flip. Most builders require you to use their preferred title company — which means the buyer pays the owner's policy. I'll come back to that.

Standard Third-Party Costs

Beyond the Florida-specific taxes, you're looking at a fairly standard set of third-party costs that you'd encounter in most states:

• Appraisal: $550–$850. Your lender orders this and you pay for it, usually a few weeks before closing. Larger or unique properties can run higher.
• Home inspection: $400–$750 for a general inspection. If the home was built before 2002, budget an extra $75–$200 for a 4-point inspection (required by most Florida insurance companies for older homes) and $75–$150 for a wind mitigation inspection — which can earn you a meaningful discount on your homeowners insurance premium.
• Survey: $400–$700. Often required by your lender. If the seller provides a recent survey acceptable to your lender, you may be able to use it rather than ordering a new one.
• Recording fees: $50–$100 to record the deed and mortgage with St. Johns County Clerk of Courts.
• Wire transfer fee: $25–$50 to wire your closing funds to the title company.
• Lender origination and underwriting fees: $1,000–$2,500. These vary significantly between lenders and are worth comparing. This is where there's the most variation in your total closing cost estimate.

Prepaids and Escrow: The Part Buyers Often Underestimate

The costs above are what most buyers focus on, but prepaids are often just as significant on the closing disclosure. These aren't fees you're paying for a service — they're money paid in advance or deposited into an escrow account to cover future expenses.

Homeowners insurance (and flood insurance if required): You'll pay your first full year of coverage at or before closing. In St. Johns County, expect $2,500–$5,000+ annually depending on the home's age, construction type, distance from water, and wind mitigation features. This is one number that varies dramatically and is worth getting quotes on early in your search — before you're under contract — so it doesn't become a surprise at the closing table.

Prepaid mortgage interest: You pay interest from your closing date through the end of that month. If you close on May 15th with a 6.5% rate on a $520,000 loan, that's roughly $1,500 in prepaid interest for the remaining 16 days of the month. Closing later in the month means less prepaid interest — a small strategy some buyers use if they're budget-conscious.

Property tax escrow: Your lender will likely require 2–3 months of estimated property taxes to fund an escrow account at closing, with ongoing contributions built into your monthly payment. St. Johns County's FY2026 county millage rate is approximately 4.465 mills — but with school board and special district assessments added in, total millage rates can run significantly higher depending on location. Your lender's escrow estimate will be based on the current year's tax bill on that property.

What It Looks Like in Real Numbers: $650,000 Purchase, 20% Down

Here's a realistic estimate for a buyer purchasing a $650,000 resale home in St. Johns County with 20% down ($520,000 loan):

Note: The owner's title insurance premium (~$3,325 on a $650,000 purchase) is paid by the seller in a resale transaction and is not included above.

Your actual total will depend on your lender, your closing date, the specific property, and how your contract is negotiated. But $13,000 to $18,000 is a realistic planning figure for this price point in the current market.

New Construction: The Important Difference

If you're buying in Nocatee, a new Lennar or DR Horton community in St. Johns, or anywhere else with a production builder in this market, the closing cost math changes — sometimes significantly.

In new construction transactions, builders typically require you to use their preferred title company. Because the builder is selecting the title company, the custom that "the party choosing pays the owner's policy" means you pay the owner's title insurance — roughly $3,325 on a $650,000 purchase.

You'll also pay documentary stamp taxes on the deed: $0.70 per $100 of purchase price, or $4,550 on a $650,000 home. In a resale transaction, this is the seller's cost. In new construction, it's yours.

That shift alone — owner's title insurance plus deed doc stamps — adds roughly $7,875 to your closing costs compared to buying a resale home. Many builders offer closing cost incentives when you use their preferred lender, which can offset some of this. Just make sure you're comparing the full picture, including the interest rate and loan terms, before committing to the builder's lender to capture the incentive.

New construction communities in St. Johns County may also have CDD (Community Development District) assessments that appear on your property tax bill. These are separate from HOA fees and worth understanding before you make an offer.

What Happens After Closing: The Homestead Advantage

Once you close on your primary residence in St. Johns County, you're eligible for Florida's homestead exemption — up to $51,411 in assessed value reduction for the 2026 tax year. File by March 1 of the year following your purchase, and you'll also lock in the Save Our Homes cap, which limits annual increases in your assessed value to 3% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

In a market where values have risen significantly, that cap is real money over time. (For a deeper look at how the exemption works and what you need to file, see Florida's property tax exemptions explained.)

Your exact closing cost total depends on your loan amount, your lender, and how your contract is structured. The best way to know your specific number is to request a Loan Estimate from your lender early in the process — and then review the preliminary Closing Disclosure carefully before you sign.

This is exactly the kind of walkthrough I do with every relocation client before we even start making offers. Knowing your full cash-to-close number — down payment plus closing costs — is the only way to plan confidently.