Cash removes the lender from the transaction and with it roughly half the line items on a settlement statement. The other half remains, and a few of them surprise buyers who expected a free closing.
- Cash buyers skip lender fees, the note doc stamps, the intangible tax, the lender's title policy and the appraisal.
- They still pay the settlement fee, recording fees, prorated taxes and HOA dues, and often the owner's title policy, depending on county custom.
- A cash closing can be done in 7 to 14 days if the title search and any survey are ordered on day one.
- The deed's documentary stamp tax is the seller's by custom and does not change with cash.
What cash removes from the settlement statement
Every fee that exists because a lender is involved disappears. There is no origination fee, no underwriting or processing fee, no appraisal, no credit report, no flood certification fee, no lender's title policy and its endorsements, no prepaid interest, and no escrow account funding. Two Florida taxes also vanish: the documentary stamp tax on the note at $0.35 per $100 and the intangible tax on the mortgage at $2 per $1,000, because there is no note and no mortgage. On a $500,000 purchase with $400,000 financed, those two taxes alone are $2,200. Cash buyers keep that.
Free Florida Closing Calculators
See all Florida title calculators →
What cash does not remove
The transaction still has to be searched, insured, documented and recorded, and the property's obligations still have to be prorated. A cash buyer in Florida should expect:
- Settlement or closing fee to the title company, typically several hundred dollars, sometimes split with the seller by custom.
- Title search and any lien search, unless the seller pays under local custom.
- Owner's title insurance policy at the promulgated rate. Who pays it depends on the county; see below.
- Recording fee for the deed, currently $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page in every Florida county.
- Prorated property taxes and any prorated HOA or condo dues, plus the association's estoppel fee if the contract puts it on the buyer.
- Survey, if ordered, and a cash buyer should order one for the reasons in whether you need a survey to close in Florida.
- Homeowner's insurance for the first year, which no one requires of a cash buyer but every sensible one buys before the deed records.
The seller's side is unchanged by cash: deed stamps at $0.70 per $100, real estate commissions, the seller's share of prorations and any payoff of the seller's own mortgage. Our Florida closing cost calculator produces both sides for any county and lets you set the loan amount to zero.
Who pays for the owner's policy
Florida does not have a statewide rule. In most of the state the seller pays for the owner's title policy and chooses the closing agent. In Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota, Collier and a handful of other counties the buyer pays and chooses. The contract controls, and the FAR/BAR form has a checkbox for it. A cash buyer in a buyer-pays county should budget the full promulgated premium: $5.75 per $1,000 up to $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from there to $1 million. The premium and the county custom are both on our title insurance calculator.
Skipping the owner's policy to save the premium is the one economy a cash buyer should not make. With no lender there is no lender's policy either, which means no title insurance at all on the property. The reasoning is laid out in do cash buyers need title insurance.
Trusted for Florida Closings
“Atlantic Title made our first home purchase so smooth. They explained every document clearly and closed on time. Couldn’t recommend them more highly.”
“As a Realtor I send every single client to Atlantic Title. Their team is responsive, professional, and always closes on time. My go-to title company in Florida.”
“We did a RON closing from out of state and it was absolutely seamless. The technology was easy to use and the team walked us through every step. Exceptional.”
A realistic timeline
With no loan to underwrite, the schedule is set by the title search and the parties' own diligence. A clean single-family closing can be done in 7 to 10 days; two weeks is comfortable. The title search takes two to five business days depending on the county. A survey, if ordered, takes one to two weeks to schedule and is usually the long pole. Condo and HOA estoppel letters are due within 10 business days of the request under Florida law, so order them the day the contract is signed. Municipal lien searches in the larger cities take about a week. Order everything on day one and the closing date takes care of itself. The full sequence is in our Florida closing process guide.
Proof of funds and the wire
Sellers accepting a cash offer will ask for proof of funds, usually a redacted bank statement dated within 30 days. At closing the funds arrive by wire to the title company's trust account, and the closing agent will not record the deed until the wire has cleared. Cash buyers are the highest-value wire fraud targets in real estate because the entire purchase price moves in one transfer. Call the title company on a number you already have, not one in the email, and confirm the instructions before sending. The scam and the defence are in wire fraud at Florida closings.
Open & Move Your File Online
Already have a signed contract? Send it over and we’ll open your file today.
Submit a Contract →An example
A $450,000 cash purchase of a single-family home in Palm Beach County, a seller-pays county. Buyer's side: settlement fee about $500, deed recording $18.50, survey about $450, prorated HOA dues and any estoppel fee, and homeowner's insurance. Buyer's closing costs land around $1,000 to $1,500 plus insurance and prorations. Move the same purchase to Broward, a buyer-pays county, and add the owner's policy of roughly $2,325, bringing the buyer to about $3,500 plus prorations. Financed, the same buyer would have added roughly $2,000 in note stamps and intangible tax, a lender's policy, an appraisal and lender fees, for a total closer to $9,000. The buyer cash-to-close calculator will produce the exact figure for your contract.
Related Reading
Florida Closing Cost Calculator 2026: Buyer & Seller Totals
Free Florida closing cost calculator.
Do I Need Title Insurance If I'm Paying Cash? (2026)
Paying cash in Florida means no lender requiring title insurance — but that's exactly why an owner's policy matters more, not less..
Wire Fraud at a Florida Closing (2026)
Real estate wire fraud is booming in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
What closing costs do cash buyers pay in Florida?
The settlement fee, recording fees, prorated property taxes and association dues, a survey if ordered, and in buyer-pays counties the owner's title insurance policy. Lender fees, note stamps and intangible tax do not apply.
Do cash buyers pay doc stamps in Florida?
Not on a note, because there is no note. The documentary stamp tax on the deed still applies and is customarily paid by the seller.
How long does a cash closing take in Florida?
Typically 7 to 14 days. The title search takes a few business days; a survey or association estoppel letter is usually what sets the date.
Who pays for title insurance on a cash sale in Florida?
County custom controls unless the contract says otherwise. The seller pays in most counties; the buyer pays in Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota, Collier and a few others.
Does a cash buyer need an appraisal in Florida?
No. Appraisals are a lender requirement. Some cash buyers order one for their own valuation, but nothing in the closing depends on it.
How much does a cash buyer save on closing costs in Florida?
On a $400,000 loan the buyer avoids about $2,200 in note stamps and intangible tax plus lender fees, appraisal and a lender's policy, often $4,000 to $6,000 in total.