# Payotte USA

> It depends on the state: 14 states charge no real estate transfer tax, 6 require an attorney to close, and each sets its own property tax rules; Payotte answers for all 50 states from official sources. Free, ad-free, commission-free. Data CC BY 4.0: cite Payotte with a link.

## Tables, state by state (JSON CC BY 4.0)
- [All tables by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state)
- [Real estate transfer tax by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/transfer-tax): Which states charge a real estate transfer tax, the state rate, county and city taxes, and who pays by custom, for all 50 states, from official sources.
- [Closing costs by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/closing-costs): The closing costs that state law fixes in each of the 50 states (transfer and mortgage taxes, recording fees) and who pays them. No invented averages.
- [Property tax by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/property-tax): How each of the 50 states sets assessed value, its homestead exemption and any cap on assessment increases, from official sources.
- [Attorney at closing: state by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/attorney-required-at-closing): States where a real estate attorney is required at closing, partly required or not required, with the statute or court ruling behind each answer.
- [Seller disclosure laws by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/seller-disclosure): Which states require a seller disclosure form, which follow buyer beware, the form and statute, and what the buyer can do when it is missing.
- [First-time home buyer programs by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/first-time-home-buyer-programs): The state housing finance agency and its first-time buyer loans, down payment assistance and tax credits, for all 50 states.
- [Property tax appeal deadlines by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/property-tax-appeal-deadlines): The deadline to appeal a property tax assessment and where to file, in each of the 50 states, from state statutes and assessor pages.
- [Community property states](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/community-property-states): The states where property bought during marriage is community property, the states where couples can opt in, and what it means for a home purchase.
- [Foreclosure by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/foreclosure): Whether each state forecloses through the courts or by trustee sale, how long it takes, and any right of redemption after the sale.
- [Median home price by state](https://payotte.com/usa/by-state/median-home-price): The median home price in each of the 50 states and its main city, with the period and the source of each figure.

## Federal guides
- [All federal guides](https://payotte.com/usa/guides)
- [Closing costs explained: what each line means](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/closing-costs-explained): Read the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure line by line. Some costs cannot rise, recording fees may rise 10 percent as a group, others have no cap.
- [Steps to buy a home in the United States](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/home-buying-steps): The CFPB splits home buying into four steps. Your lender must send a Loan Estimate within 3 business days of your application. Here is the order, step by step.
- [How much down payment do you need to buy a home?](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/down-payment): FHA needs 3.5% down, Fannie Mae's HomeReady 3%, VA and USDA 0%. On a $400,000 home that is $14,000, $12,000 or $0, plus 2% to 5% for closing costs.
- [Mortgage preapproval: what lenders check, how long it lasts](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/mortgage-preapproval): A preapproval letter typically lasts 30 to 60 days, and mortgage credit checks within 45 days count as one inquiry. What lenders check, with a DTI example.
- [Title insurance explained](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/title-insurance-explained): Lender's title insurance is usually required, owner's is optional. In a CFPB example, $2,568 and $1,175 premiums cost $2,768 together at a simultaneous rate.
- [Real estate commission: how agents are paid now](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/real-estate-commission): Commissions are negotiable and not set by law. Since August 17, 2024, offers of compensation are banned from the MLS and buyers sign a written agreement first.
- [Capital gains on a home sale: $250,000 / $500,000 exclusion](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/capital-gains-home-sale): Sell your main home and exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for joint filers) if you owned and lived in it 2 of the last 5 years.
- [Private mortgage insurance (PMI): how to remove it](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/private-mortgage-insurance): Federal law lets you ask to cancel PMI when your balance is scheduled to reach 80% of the original value, and ends it at 78%. The rules and a worked example.
- [FHA loans: requirements, 2026 limits and mortgage insurance](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/fha-loans): FHA loans need 3.5% down with a 580 credit score. Upfront mortgage insurance is 1.75% and the annual premium is 0.55% at 96.5% LTV. 2026 limits inside.
- [Earnest money: how much and when you get it back](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/earnest-money): Earnest money is a good-faith deposit on a signed contract. No federal rule sets the amount or the refund: your contract does. Know what protects the deposit.
- [Escrow accounts for taxes and insurance: your rights](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/escrow-account): Under Regulation X a servicer may hold a cushion of at most one-sixth of annual bills and must send a yearly statement within 30 days. Shortages, refunds.
- [Home inspection cost and what it covers](https://payotte.com/usa/guides/home-inspection-cost): No federal agency sets or publishes a home inspection price. HUD says FHA performs none, and EPA says fix radon at 4 pCi/L or more. What drives the cost.

## Payotte
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