A straightforward closing process with a few curveball environmental factors.
In Maine, you can expect to pay between at least 1% of your home’s total purchase price in closing costs. But if you need a flood certification or to remove an old oil tank, that cost can climb.
Average closing costs in Maine
After fees and taxes, closing costs in Maine can add up to some 1.01% to 1.52% of your purchase price. This may sound like a small percentage, but costs quickly climb if you’re purchasing an expensive property.
Across the state, the average home sale price is between $200,000 and $300,000. Let’s say you buy a home in that price range. The average closing cost before taxes is between $1,620 and $2,430 — which pays for processing, appraisal and recording fees, plus title insurance and credit reports.
Every state has its own set of taxes, and Maine is no exception. After adding those in, the average closing cost after taxes rises to $3,039.
Our averages are based on sample data. While many fees and taxes are required by the government, you can trim your costs by comparing mortgage lenders and attorneys.
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How do closing costs in Maine compare nationally?
Maine’s closing costs sit somewhere in the middle. It ranks 22 out of 50 states and districts for the average closing costs before taxes.
To give you an idea of where other states are on the spectrum, buyers and sellers in DC, New York and California cough up the most money. Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa have the lowest closing costs.
Who pays closing costs in Maine?
In Maine, the buyer typically pays the bulk of the closing costs. But fees depend on whether you’re the one purchasing or selling a home.
Buyers
- Closing attorney: Varies
- Title search: $300–$500
- Title insurance: Varies
- Appraisal fee: $150–$500
- Property inspection fee: Varies
- Recording fee: $2–$22 per page
- Processing fee: $75–$125
- Origination fee: $500–$800
- Surveying fee: $200–$400 based on size of land
- Settlement fee: $200
- Transfer tax: $2.20 per $1,000 of sales price, split between buyer and seller
- Property tax: Prorated at closing
- Condo or HOA fees: Prorated at closing, if applicable
- Flood certification fee: $15–$30
- Credit report: $25–$50
- Mortgage recording or deed of trust fee: $35
- Homeowners insurance: Varies
- Mortgage insurance: Up to 1% of mortgage amount, if applicable
- Archive and courier fee: $50–$100
- Miscellaneous condo fees: Varies
Sellers
- Broker fees: Typically 6% of sales price
- Own attorney: Varies
- Transfer tax: $2.20 per $1,000 of sales price, split between buyer and seller
- Property tax: Prorated at closing
- Document preparation fee: $150–$250
- Recording fee: $2–$22 per page
- Mortgage payoff: Subject to loan balance
- Courier and wire transfer fee: $20–$50
- Home warranty fee: Varies, if applicable
- Condo or HOA fees: Prorated at closing, if applicable
- Miscellaneous condo fees: Varies
- Proof of removal of old heating tanks: Varies, if applicable
What to know about buying a house, condo or co-op in Maine
Maine has specific environmental conditions that may affect the closing process. The big one? Old heating oil tanks.
Contamination from leaking underground storage tanks is an ongoing issue in Maine. Each year, between 450 and 500 home-heating oil spills are recorded. And since 1990, more than 600 tanks have polluted the state’s drinking water.
Along with making water undrinkable, spilled heating oil can affect air quality in the home, create a fire hazard and seep into rivers, lakes and neighboring properties. It can also devalue land and stop real estate sales.
As such, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection launched a program to replace leaking or unsafe tanks in 1998. Today, tanks must be double-walled and have double-walled piping to prevent leaks.
When you’re selling a home, you might need to obtain proof of removal of old heating oil tanks before the property can go on the market. If you still have an old tank, you’ll need to pay for its removal. Costs vary, but contractors generally charge from $1,000 to $3,000, which covers the sampling, testing and cleanup.
Bottom line
In Maine, you can expect to pay between 1.01% and 1.52% of the total purchase price. As a buyer, you’ll cover the bulk of those costs, but some of them come with a little negotiation leeway.
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