Closing costs by state
Closing costs in Oregon
Closing costs in Oregon 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 $10,055. Oregon has no state-level real estate transfer tax. Washington County keeps a grandfathered transfer tax of $1 per $1,000 of selling price on sales above $13,999, customarily split. Every other state or local transfer tax is barred by ORS 306.815 (1997) and the Oregon Constitution, Art. IX § 15 (Measure 79, 2012).
Last verified ·Sources:oregon.public.law·ballotpedia.org·ballotpedia.org
The rules
What Oregon does differently
- State transfer tax
- None at the state level.
- Who pays it
- Not applicable.
- County and city add-ons
- Washington County keeps a grandfathered transfer tax of $1 per $1,000 of selling price on sales above $13,999, customarily split. Every other state or local transfer tax is barred by ORS 306.815 (1997) and the Oregon Constitution, Art. IX § 15 (Measure 79, 2012).
- Attorney at closing
- Oregon does not require an attorney at closing; a title or escrow company usually conducts it, and an attorney is optional.
- Owner’s title policy
- The seller customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Oregon; the buyer pays for the lender’s policy.
- Notes
- The statute and the constitutional text were read from legal reference mirrors of the Oregon Revised Statutes and Constitution because the Legislature's own site refused connections; both reproduce the primary text verbatim. Escrow and title companies conduct closings; the seller customarily pays the buyer's owner's policy.
- oregon.public.law — “shall not impose, by ordinance or other law, a tax or fee upon the transfer of a fee estate in real property”
- ballotpedia.org — “The state, a city, county, district... shall not impose... a tax, fee or other assessment upon the transfer of any interest in real property”
- ballotpedia.org — “Measure 79... was approved. The measure prohibited real estate transfer taxes. Yes 976,587 58.89%”
Worked example
A $400,000 home in Oregon, 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 Oregon’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 |
| Total (2.514% of price) | $10,055 |
Seller pays
| Commission, 5% | $20,000 |
| Title and escrow fees | $2,000 |
| Owner’s title policy (estimate) | $1,500 |
| Prorated property tax | $1,500 |
| Total | $25,000 |
Questions
What people ask about Oregon
- Who pays the transfer tax in Oregon?
- Oregon has no state-level real estate transfer tax. Washington County keeps a grandfathered transfer tax of $1 per $1,000 of selling price on sales above $13,999, customarily split. Every other state or local transfer tax is barred by ORS 306.815 (1997) and the Oregon Constitution, Art. IX § 15 (Measure 79, 2012).
- Do you need an attorney to close on a house in Oregon?
- Oregon does not require an attorney at closing; a title or escrow company usually conducts it, and an attorney is optional.
- Who pays for the owner’s title policy in Oregon?
- The seller customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Oregon; the buyer pays for the lender’s policy.
- How much are seller closing costs in Oregon?
- On a $400,000 sale with a 5% commission, the worked example on this page comes to $25,000 for the seller, 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.
Agent Workspace
Put the numbers to work
The workspace turns the figures you trust into a market update film, a seller net sheet in the CMA, or a buyer education video, from the same numbers. Free to start; one Pro covers every tool and every EstatePass exam channel.