Cash-to-close and closing cost estimator
Cash to close is the down payment plus closing costs and prepaid items, less any seller credit and any assistance applied on your behalf. Enter a price and your own figures below to estimate what has to be on the table at closing, and whether your savings cover it with a cushion left over.
Quick answer: How much are closing costs, and can assistance cover them?
Budget roughly two to five percent of the purchase price for closing costs. Many assistance programs allow their funds to be used for closing costs as well as the down payment, and seller and lender credits can absorb much of the rest — which is how buyers reach a near-zero cash-to-close figure.
TL;DR
- Two to five percent of price is the normal range.
- Most programs let funds cover closing costs, not just the down payment.
- Seller credits are capped by loan type, not by the program.
Quick questions
- What's prepaid versus closing cost?
- Prepaids are taxes and insurance funded into escrow up front; closing costs are lender, title and recording fees.
Published Last updated
- Reviewed September 2026
Estimate your cash to close
Enter the purchase price, the down payment your loan type requires, and any seller credit or assistance you expect. Every figure is an estimate for planning only.
| Down payment | $14,000 |
|---|---|
| Estimated closing costs | $12,000 |
| Total needed before credits | $26,000 |
| Seller credit and assistance applied | − $15,000 |
| Estimated cash to close | $11,000 |
You would be about $1,000 short of the estimated cash to close on these numbers. Reserves are usually required on top of this figure.
Methodology: closing costs are estimated as a percentage band of the purchase price because title, transfer tax, recording and prepaid escrows vary by county and by contract. Assistance and seller credits are applied only up to the total of down payment plus closing costs, since neither can be taken as cash back. This is an educational estimate, not a Loan Estimate, an approval, or a commitment to lend, and it excludes reserves, prepaid items you may choose to fund, and any program-specific borrower contribution requirement.
Want a copy of these numbers? We'll email them to you, with the assistance programs in our database for your state.
For informational and illustrative purposes only.
The figures produced here are estimates generated from the numbers you entered. They are not a loan offer, pre-approval, approval, commitment to lend, rate quote or rate lock, and they do not guarantee any loan term, payment or amount of assistance. Your actual figures depend on lender underwriting, program rules, property, credit profile and the pricing available on the day you lock.
This estimate excludes property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, HOA dues, closing costs unless the tool states otherwise, so your real monthly cost and cash to close will be higher.
Simply Approved Mortgages LLC | NMLS #2620881 | Florida Mortgage Broker License #MBR7685 | Colorado Mortgage Company Registration | Equal Housing Opportunity. Residential mortgage loans are arranged in Florida and Colorado only.
What actually makes up cash to close
Cash to close is not just the down payment. It is the down payment, plus lender and third-party closing costs, plus prepaid items such as the first year of homeowners insurance and the tax and insurance escrow the lender collects, less anything the seller or an assistance program pays on your behalf.
The estimate above splits those into a down payment percentage you control and a closing-cost band you choose. Buyers consistently underestimate the prepaid items, which is why the light band is 2% rather than zero.
- Down payment — 3.5% is the FHA minimum; conventional first mortgages paired with assistance often start at 3%.
- Lender fees — origination, underwriting and any discount points you agree to.
- Third-party fees — appraisal, title search and insurance, survey, settlement and recording.
- Government charges — transfer tax, documentary stamps and intangible tax where the county levies them.
- Prepaid items — homeowners insurance for the first year, prepaid interest and the initial escrow deposit.
How assistance changes the number
Assistance is applied at the closing table like any other credit: it reduces the money you have to wire, and it never comes back to you as cash. A grant and a deferred second do exactly the same thing to this calculation — the difference between them shows up later, in whether and when you repay.
That is why we keep this tool separate from the assistance calculator. This one answers what you need on the day; the assistance calculator answers what the structure costs you over the years you own the home.
Budget past the closing table
Clearing cash to close with nothing left is a bad outcome even when it is an allowed one. Program underwriting frequently requires reserves — typically one to two months of the full housing payment left in your account after closing — and moving, utility deposits and immediate repairs arrive in the first weeks.
The estimator's savings field exists for exactly this reason: it shows the gap or the surplus, so you can see whether a purchase clears with a cushion or only just clears.
Closing cost questions
How much cash do I need to close on a house?
Plan on the down payment your loan type requires plus roughly 2% to 5% of the purchase price in closing costs and prepaid items, less any seller credit and any assistance you receive. Reserves — money left after closing — are required on top of that by many programs.
Can down payment assistance pay closing costs?
Most programs allow the funds to be applied to closing costs as well as the down payment, and for many buyers the closing costs are the larger barrier. A few programs restrict the funds to the down payment only, so check the program document before you plan around it.
Can I get cash back at closing from assistance?
No. Assistance and seller credits can only reduce what you owe at closing. Anything above the total of your down payment and allowable closing costs is simply not disbursed, which is why the estimator caps credits at that total.
What is a minimum borrower contribution?
Many assistance programs require the buyer to put in some of their own money, commonly around 0.5% to 1% of the purchase price, even when assistance covers the rest. The funds usually have to be documented and seasoned in your account.
Why are closing costs different in every county?
Transfer taxes, documentary stamps, recording fees and title practices are set locally, and prepaid escrows depend on the property's tax and insurance bills. That is why this tool uses a percentage band rather than pretending to a single national figure.
Ready to see which programs fit you?
Answer 10 quick questions and see the down payment assistance programs worth checking..
See your own numbers
Free tools using current stored limits and your inputs. Estimates are educational, not loan offers.
- Closing cost estimatorPlan for typical closing costs alongside your down payment.Open tool
- DPA calculatorEstimate how assistance could change your cash to close.Open tool
- Eligibility checkAnswer a few questions to see which program types may fit.Open tool
Want a personalized quote?
Buying in Florida or Colorado? Request a scenario review from a licensed mortgage broker.
October 2026 Closing Cost Estimates Review
We reviewed typical closing-cost ranges used as estimating bands, assistance structures that may be applied to closing costs and minimum borrower contribution conventions in published program documents relevant to this page. No material changes requiring substantive revisions were identified this month. The information and sources shown here remain current as of our latest review.
- Checked: typical closing-cost ranges used as estimating bands
- Checked: assistance structures that may be applied to closing costs
- Checked: minimum borrower contribution conventions in published program documents
This page's scheduled monthly review is overdue. The section above reflects our latest completed review, not a new one for the current month.
Current data & page updates
- Page last reviewed
- September 27, 2026
- Page last substantively updated
- September 27, 2026
- Next scheduled review
- October 27, 2026
- Current monthly review
- October 2026
- Live data feed
- No
This page is past its scheduled review date and is queued for the next review cycle.
Licensing & Disclosures
Simply Approved Mortgages LLC | NMLS #2620881
Florida Branch Office (Miami, FL) | Branch NMLS #2688012
Florida Mortgage Broker License #MBR7685 | Colorado Mortgage Company Registration
Business Phone: (877) 813-7219
Equal Housing Opportunity
Broker identification. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is a mortgage broker and is not a direct lender. We arrange residential mortgage loans with third-party lenders and do not make the lender's final credit decision or fund the loan. We arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado.
Down payment assistance programs. Down payment and closing-cost assistance programs listed or referenced on this site may be administered by third parties, including state housing finance agencies, cities, counties, Federal Home Loan Banks, nonprofit organizations, lenders, and other program sponsors. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC does not administer, control, fund, or guarantee third-party assistance unless expressly stated otherwise.
Listing or displaying a program does not constitute an offer of that program, a representation that funding is currently available, or a determination that a borrower or property qualifies. Program availability, funding, assistance amounts, income limits, purchase-price limits, credit requirements, occupancy requirements, geographic restrictions, homebuyer education requirements, participating-lender requirements, repayment terms, and other eligibility criteria vary by program and may change or become unavailable without notice. Eligibility and current program terms must be confirmed for the particular transaction.
Types of assistance. Down payment or closing-cost assistance may be structured as a grant, forgivable loan, deferred-payment loan, repayable second mortgage or other form of assistance. Assistance structured as a lien or secondary financing may be subject to repayment, forgiveness, occupancy, resale, refinance, or other conditions. Assistance should not be considered "free money" unless the applicable program documents expressly provide that the assistance is a grant with no repayment obligation.
Receiving or potentially qualifying for down payment assistance does not guarantee mortgage approval, guarantee receipt of assistance, or necessarily eliminate all funds that a borrower may be required to contribute to a transaction.
Credit and program terms. All loans are subject to lender credit approval, underwriting, acceptable appraisal, title review, insurance, and supporting documentation. Eligibility, programs, rates, APRs, points, fees, payments, terms, loan amounts, down-payment requirements, and availability may vary based on borrower, property, occupancy, credit profile, loan-to-value ratio, debt-to-income ratio, lender, assistance program, and location and may change without notice. Not all borrowers, properties, products, or programs will qualify or be available in every location. Nothing on this site constitutes a loan approval, rate lock, offer, commitment to lend, guarantee of assistance, or guarantee of closing.
Rates, payments and calculators. Rates, APRs, payments, down payments, estimated assistance amounts, affordability, home prices, closing costs, savings, and other calculator or scenario results displayed on this site are estimates or illustrations unless expressly stated otherwise. Actual eligibility, assistance, and loan terms may differ. Taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, association dues, lender charges, broker compensation, discount points, third-party charges, and other costs may apply. Advertised rates, payments, APRs, down payments, and other credit terms are subject to the assumptions and disclosures presented with the applicable advertisement.
Government affiliation. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is not a government agency and is not affiliated with, acting on behalf of, sponsored by, or endorsed by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, any housing finance agency, or any other federal, state, or local government agency. References to government agencies, housing authorities, assistance programs, data, forms, or resources are provided for informational purposes and do not imply sponsorship or endorsement of Simply Approved Mortgages LLC.
Fair lending. Equal Housing Opportunity. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC conducts business in accordance with applicable federal and state fair-housing and equal-credit-opportunity laws and does not discriminate on any prohibited basis.
No professional advice. Content on this site is educational and general in nature and is not legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment advice. Borrowers should review the applicable program documents and consult qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances.