Marathon Title Company
Local Marathon title work with statewide reach — title insurance, escrow and closings for buyers, sellers, investors and lenders.
Atlantic Title Firm provides title insurance, escrow, and closing services throughout Marathon and the rest of Monroe County. Buyers, sellers, FSBOs, investors, and lenders rely on us for accurate, on-time closings — backed by local Marathon know-how and statewide reach. Marathon is the city of the Middle Keys, roughly mile markers 47 to 60 across Vaca Key, Boot Key, Knight’s Key, Fat Deer Key and Grassy Key, at the foot of the Seven Mile Bridge. Nearly every property is canal-front, bay-front or ocean-front, nearly every home is elevated, and the Keys’ growth-management rules mean a vacant lot is a very different purchase than one in the rest of Florida. We close throughout Marathon, Key Colony Beach and the neighboring unincorporated keys.
On a typical $875,000 Marathon sale, the Florida-specific closing costs run about $10,602 (deed doc stamps + owner’s title + recording). In Monroe County, the seller customarily pays the owner’s title policy and usually chooses the closing agent.
Title & Closing Costs in Marathon
Strip away lender fees and prorations and a Marathon closing has two Florida-mandated costs: the deed documentary stamp tax at $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price and the promulgated owner's title insurance premium. The first goes to the state; the second is set by the state. Here is the math on a $875,000 Marathon transaction:
Example: $875,000 sale in Marathon
These are illustrative — your actual costs depend on price, financing, prorations, and who pays what under the contract. Run your own numbers with the Marathon closing cost calculator, or use the statewide tools below:
See all Florida title calculators →
What Is Different About Closing in Marathon
ROGO and BPAS: a lot is not a building permit. Marathon allocates a limited number of new residential permits each year through its Building Permit Allocation System, and Monroe County does the same through ROGO. A vacant lot can wait years for an allocation, and some tiers may never receive one. We make sure vacant-land buyers understand that the deed conveys land, not the right to build, and we identify recorded tier designations and conservation restrictions on the commitment.
Downstairs enclosures and FEMA. Most Marathon homes are elevated on stilts, and many have enclosed the ground level. Unpermitted living space below base flood elevation is a recurring problem: it affects flood insurance, the Keys’ inspection-on-transfer rules and, in some cases, recorded FEMA-related notices. We look for those notices and encourage buyers to resolve the permit question before closing rather than inherit it.
Sewer assessments and the state’s oversight. The Keys converted to central wastewater under a state mandate, and system-development and connection assessments still appear on many tax bills. Marathon is also inside the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern, which layers state review on local land-use decisions. Both are facts of life we account for on the settlement statement and the commitment.
Canals, docks and davits. Canal-front lots raise questions about who owns the canal bottom, whether the seawall and davits are permitted and where the riparian line falls. We read the survey and the permit history and explain what the title policy covers below the waterline.
Who Pays for Title Insurance in Marathon?
In Marathon, as across Monroe County, the working assumption is seller pays for the owner's title policy and selects the title company. Buyers sometimes assume that leaves them no say. It does not: the buyer can negotiate the choice of closer, will always pay for the lender's policy if there is a loan, and can ask for a simultaneous-issue discount on that policy. We explain the options before the contract is signed.
Talk to a Marathon Title Agent
Questions about a Marathon contract, a lien, or a deed? Leave your details and we'll call you back the same day.
Property Taxes & Homestead in Marathon
Taxes on a Marathon home are the Monroe County Property Appraiser's taxable value times a total rate of about 8.4 mills (the 2025 City of Marathon total rate; unincorporated Monroe County parcels use a different, usually lower, rate). Homestead buyers get up to $50,000 in exemptions plus the 3% Save Our Homes cap; everyone gets a reassessment to market value the January after the sale, which is why the seller's capped bill understates what you will owe.
Estimate Marathon property taxesFree property-tax estimator with Monroe County millage & homestead→Recording Your Deed in Marathon
The Monroe County Clerk in Key West (with a Marathon branch) is the recording office for every Marathon deed, mortgage and satisfaction. Fees are the same statewide: $10 for page one and $8.50 for each page after. We prepare the documents, collect the doc stamps and intangible tax at closing, e-record and deliver the recorded instruments with your owner's title policy.
How Your Marathon Closing Works
Contract In
Email or upload the signed contract. We open escrow, order the Marathon title search and confirm your closing date within hours.
Examine Title
Our examiners review the Monroe County records for liens, judgments, easements and chain-of-title gaps and start clearing them.
Commitment Out
You and your lender receive the commitment; we order payoffs, estoppels and the survey and prepare the settlement statement.
Fund & Record
Sign in person, by mail or by remote notary; we disburse, e-record with the Monroe County Clerk and issue your owner's policy.
Marathon Title & Property Considerations
Windstorm and flood insurance are the largest carrying costs in Marathon, so elevation certificates and wind mitigation reports are routine loan conditions. Mangroves along the shoreline are protected and trimming violations can follow the property. Many buyers are out of state or buying through an LLC, so mail-away closings, entity documents and the occasional FIRPTA withholding are standard here.
Monroe County’s millage is among the lowest in Florida and Marathon’s city rate is modest, which helps offset the insurance burden. Deeds record with the Monroe County Clerk of the Circuit Court, which has a branch at the Marathon Government Center; we record electronically at closing.
Our Marathon title search and examination are built to surface issues like these before you close — so you take title clean and your ownership is protected from day one.
Neighborhoods & Areas We Serve in Marathon
Atlantic Title Firm closes throughout Marathon, including Vaca Key, Boot Key, Knight’s Key, Grassy Key, Sombrero Beach, Coco Plum and Key Colony Beach:
Marathon Title & Escrow, Handled.
Fast, accurate closings with a dedicated closer — call or order title online.
☎ (561) 396-2692Order TitleMarathon Title Company FAQ
Does Atlantic Title Firm close in Marathon and the Middle Keys?
Yes. We provide title insurance, escrow and closings throughout Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Grassy Key, Duck Key and the neighboring unincorporated keys for buyers, sellers, investors and lenders.
What do title insurance and doc stamps cost on a Marathon sale?
On an $875,000 Marathon sale the Florida-specific items are about $6,125 in deed documentary stamps, $4,450 in owner's title insurance and roughly $27 in recording, before lender fees, prorations and commissions. Our Marathon closing cost calculator adds the rest.
Who pays for title insurance in Monroe County?
The seller customarily pays for the owner's title policy in Monroe County and usually chooses the closing agent. It is a custom rather than a law and the contract controls.
Does buying a vacant lot in Marathon mean I can build on it?
Not automatically. New residential permits are allocated through the city's BPAS system and the county's ROGO, and a lot may wait years or never receive an allocation. The deed conveys the land, not a permit.
What happens if the downstairs enclosure is unpermitted?
It can affect flood insurance, financing and the Keys' inspection-on-transfer requirements. We look for recorded notices and recommend resolving the permit status with the city before closing rather than inheriting the problem.
A dedicated closer, co-branded marketing, and clear updates on every file — see why Marathon agents make us their preferred title company.
Open & Move Your File Online
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Nearby Cities & Counties We Serve
Marathon is in Monroe County. See the full county page, or our statewide coverage across all 67 Florida counties.