Refinances owe no transfer tax in Pennsylvania. Transfers between spouses, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, or siblings are exempt. Buying from an estate is taxed like any other sale.
Total transfer tax on this sale
The split lives in the agreement of sale. Half each is the Delco custom; in a slow market the seller sometimes picks up more, and in a hot one the buyer does. One line for anyone comparing: across the city line in Philadelphia the total is 4.578%.
Some of this can come back to you.
Homeownership First puts up to $10,000 toward closing costs, transfer tax included, for a first-time buyer who fits the program. Call, and the licensed Pennsylvania lender who calls you back can say in one conversation whether it applies to your purchase.
(484) 558-9670Estimates only, and not a loan offer or a rate quote. The transfer tax rates come from the county recorder's published schedule and can change; the settlement sheet is the final word.