King County Buyer Closing Costs

Direct answer

Buyer closing costs in King County typically start from the national benchmark of 2%-5% of purchase price, per Zillow's public calculator — a planning anchor, not a Washington-specific quote.

Your actual total depends on loan type, rate, property tax proration, insurance, title and escrow fees, and King County recording charges. Use the live tool below for an itemized, editable estimate specific to your purchase, whether you're buying in Kirkland, Bellevue, Seattle, or elsewhere in King County.

National Benchmark Is a Starting Point, Not a King County Quote

Zillow's public calculator puts buyer closing costs at a national 2%-5% of price. That figure is broad, varies by location, loan, price, providers, and points, and isn't a Washington-specific number.

It functions as a first-pass budget line; King County recording fees, Washington REET rules, and your own Loan Estimate narrow it further. The gap between "national average" and "your actual number" is exactly what local, loan-specific figures close.

What Buyer Closing Costs Actually Cover

Per CFPB guidance, closing costs exclude your down payment. They include lender fees, appraisal, prepaid interest, property tax and insurance reserves, title insurance, escrow fees, and recording charges.

Your Loan Estimate separates loan costs from shoppable services — title, escrow, and similar third-party fees. That distinction sits underneath King County-specific costs before closing in Kirkland, Bellevue, Seattle, or elsewhere in the county.

King County Recording Fees for Buyers

King County Recorder charges $304.50 plus $1 per additional page to record a Deed of Trust. Most other documents cost $303.50 plus $1 per additional page.

These figures are published by King County Recorder's Office.

REET: Usually a Seller Cost, With One Buyer Exception

Per WA DOR, REET (Real Estate Excise Tax) applies to most real-property sales, and the seller typically pays it — it isn't a standard line item in a buyer's closing costs.

The exception: if the seller doesn't pay REET, you as the buyer become liable, and unpaid REET can attach as a lien on the property. That is a liability, not a standard buyer closing cost.

Down Payment vs. Cash to Close

CFPB defines cash to close as down payment plus closing costs, minus deposit, seller credits, and other adjustments. Closing costs alone exclude your down payment — they're a separate line item.

Down payment and closing costs move independently as terms change.

Loan Estimate vs. Closing Disclosure

Your Loan Estimate itemizes loan costs and shoppable services early in the process, before you've committed to specific providers. The Closing Disclosure finalizes those numbers.

You generally receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before your mortgage closes.

Cash Buyers: What Changes

The live tool below supports setting down payment to 100% and mortgage-only fees to zero. Named remaining costs — title insurance, escrow fees, recording charges, tax adjustments, and inspection or service fees — can still apply.

Estimate Your Own Numbers

Enter price, down payment, rate, prepaid interest, tax and insurance reserves, lender fees, appraisal, services, lender title, escrow, recording, and credits to generate a buyer-side estimate. No email or login is required, and local REET stays editable if you have a current local rate.

This tool produces a planning estimate, not a quote. Official lender, title, escrow, county, and settlement documents control your final numbers — whether you're closing in Kirkland, Bellevue, Seattle, or elsewhere in King County.