Massachusetts Closing Costs for Buyers: How Much You'll Pay

Transfer tax in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has no separate county/local transfer or recordation tax; the $4.56/$1,000 excise stamp under c.64D is the sole transfer tax statewide (aside from the Cape Cod Land Bank surcharge in most Barnstable County towns and Nantucket's separate 2% land bank fee).

Who pays: By state law and standard practice the deeds excise stamps are affixed to the deed and paid by the SELLER/grantor at the registry of deeds; this is the statutory default under c.64D, though it can be negotiated otherwise in the purchase and sale agreement. Source

Worked example: On a $645,400 home, the deed excise tax rounds consideration up to the nearest $500 ($645,500) and applies $4.56 per $1,000: $645,500 / 1,000 x 4.56 = $2,943.48, customarily paid entirely by the seller.

How much is title insurance in Massachusetts?

On a $645,400 home in Massachusetts, an owner's title policy costs about $2,356 and the lender's policy about $175 when both are issued together (the simultaneous-issue discount). The buyer pays the lender's policy; who pays the owner's policy is a matter of local custom and contract. Massachusetts is a filed-competitive state: each title insurer files its own rates, so premiums differ by company and it pays to get two quotes. Premiums computed from CATIC (Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company), Massachusetts Title Insurance Rate Book.

Who pays the owner's policy: Local custom varies by town/underwriter; commonly the SELLER pays for the owner's policy in much of Massachusetts, but practice differs by community and is set in the purchase and sale agreement, confirm with the closing attorney. The buyer customarily pays for the lender's policy. Source

CATIC's filed Massachusetts owner's-policy rate is $3.65 per $1,000 of liability in the $40,000-$1,000,000 bracket; at $645,400 that is $645,400 / 1,000 x 3.65 = $2,355.71.

Massachusetts-specific buyer costs on a $645,400 home

These are the line items set by Massachusetts law or filed rates. Lender fees, appraisal, escrow and prepaid taxes and insurance come on top and depend on your loan.

Do you need a closing attorney in Massachusetts?

Yes. Massachusetts is an attorney-closing state. M.G.L. c. 93, section 70 requires that an attorney certify title on real estate transactions involving an owner-occupied dwelling of four or fewer units, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held in Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts, Inc. v. National Real Estate Information Services (2011) that conducting a residential closing, certifying marketable title, supervising the transfer, and disbursing funds under the state's good-funds law, constitutes the practice of law that only a licensed Massachusetts attorney may perform. Source

Recording fees

Recording the deed costs $155 and the mortgage $205 at the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (statewide fee schedule set by the Secretary of the Commonwealth; figures shown are the standard fees used at every county registry, including Suffolk). Fee schedule

Other Massachusetts specifics

• Cape Cod & Islands Land Bank / Nantucket Land Bank fees. Most towns in Barnstable County add a 0.6875% land bank fee on top of the state deed excise tax, and Nantucket imposes its own separate 2% land bank fee; both are typically paid by the buyer and apply only to those island/Cape jurisdictions, not statewide. Source
• Massachusetts Homestead Declaration. Recording a Declaration of Homestead protects a portion of home equity from certain creditors; it is optional but commonly recorded at closing for a $35 registry fee. Source

How much are closing costs in Massachusetts?

For a buyer, closing costs usually run 2% to 5% of the purchase price. On Massachusetts's median-priced home (about $645,400), that is roughly $12,908 to $32,270, and it is separate from your down payment. The exact figure depends on your lender, your loan, and local taxes.

What closing costs include

Closing costs are a bundle of one-time fees due at settlement: lender or origination fees, an appraisal, title insurance, escrow and settlement fees, recording fees and any Massachusetts transfer tax, plus prepaid property taxes and homeowners insurance.

Why Massachusetts closing costs vary

The single biggest reason closing costs differ from state to state is transfer taxes, which states and sometimes counties and cities charge on the sale. Title insurance customs and whether an attorney is required at settlement also matter.

How a rebate offsets Massachusetts closing costs

Buyer commission rebates are legal in Massachusetts. Because a rebate can be paid as a credit at closing, it can erase a meaningful share of these costs. On a $645,400 home, a 2% rebate is about $12,908, often enough to cover much of the closing bill.

See Massachusetts buyer rebates and how to get one →

Sources

• Massachusetts transfer tax statute
• CATIC (Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company), Massachusetts Title Insurance Rate Book
• Who pays the owner's title policy
• Massachusetts closing attorney rule
• Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (statewide fee schedule set by the Secretary of the Commonwealth; figures shown are the standard fees used at every county registry, including Suffolk) recording fees
• Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93, Section 70 (attorney certification of title)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: buyer closing costs are typically 2% to 5% of the purchase price

Massachusetts figures last verified against official sources on September 11, 2026.