Closing costs by state
Closing costs in Maine
Closing costs in Maine run about 2% to 5% of the price for a buyer, made of lender fees, title and settlement, recording, prepaid interest and escrow reserves; on a $400,000 home the worked example below comes to $12,435. Maine charges a state transfer tax of $2.20 per $500 of value, imposed half on the grantor and half on the grantee (real estate transfer tax, 36 M.R.S. § 4641-A); from November 1, 2025 an additional $3.80 per $500 on the portion of value over $1,000,000, about 0.44% of the price, and it is customarily split between buyer and seller.
Last verified ·Sources:legislature.maine.gov·legislature.maine.gov
The rules
What Maine does differently
- State transfer tax
- $2.20 per $500 of value, imposed half on the grantor and half on the grantee (real estate transfer tax, 36 M.R.S. § 4641-A); from November 1, 2025 an additional $3.80 per $500 on the portion of value over $1,000,000 (about 0.44% of the price at $400,000).
- Who pays it
- Split between buyer and seller.
- County and city add-ons
- None; no county or municipal transfer taxes.
- Attorney at closing
- In Maine closings are customarily handled by an attorney rather than a title or escrow company, so budget an attorney fee.
- Owner’s title policy
- The buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Maine, along with the lender’s policy.
- Notes
- The statute splits the tax: $880 each on a $400,000 sale. Attorneys or title companies conduct closings, and the borrower may choose their own attorney.
- legislature.maine.gov — “The rate of the tax is $2.20 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value of the property transferred.”
- legislature.maine.gov — “The tax is imposed 1/2 on the grantor and 1/2 on the grantee.”
Worked example
A $400,000 home in Maine, 20% down
Loan of $320,000 at 6.5%, closing on the 15th. Lender, title and recording figures are typical line items used for illustration, the same on every state page; the transfer tax and the owner’s policy side follow Maine’s rules above. Not a quote: the calculator takes your own figures.
Buyer pays
| Loan origination, 1% of the loan | $3,200 |
| Appraisal | $550 |
| Title and settlement services | $1,800 |
| Lender’s title policy | $900 |
| Recording | $150 |
| Prepaid interest, 15 days at 6.5% | $855 |
| Escrow reserve, 3 months of tax at 1.1% | $1,100 |
| First year of homeowners insurance | $1,500 |
| Owner’s title policy (estimate) | $1,500 |
| Transfer tax, buyer’s share (0.22%) | $880 |
| Total (3.109% of price) | $12,435 |
Seller pays
| Commission, 5% | $20,000 |
| Title and escrow fees | $2,000 |
| Prorated property tax | $1,500 |
| Transfer tax, seller’s share (0.22%) | $880 |
| Total | $24,380 |
Questions
What people ask about Maine
- Who pays the transfer tax in Maine?
- Maine charges a state transfer tax of $2.20 per $500 of value, imposed half on the grantor and half on the grantee (real estate transfer tax, 36 M.R.S. § 4641-A); from November 1, 2025 an additional $3.80 per $500 on the portion of value over $1,000,000, about 0.44% of the price, and it is customarily split between buyer and seller.
- Do you need an attorney to close on a house in Maine?
- In Maine closings are customarily handled by an attorney rather than a title or escrow company, so budget an attorney fee.
- Who pays for the owner’s title policy in Maine?
- The buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Maine, along with the lender’s policy.
- How much are seller closing costs in Maine?
- On a $400,000 sale with a 5% commission, the worked example on this page comes to $24,380 for the seller, including $880 of transfer tax, before the mortgage payoff and any concessions or repairs. The seller net sheet calculator shows the walk-away figure.
Last reviewed September 8, 2026 by the EstatePass editorial team. Formulas and program limits are checked against the published rules; figures on this page are arithmetic, not market statistics.
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