Who Pays What in Northern California Real Estate Transactions?

Section 4 of the standard California Association ofTransfer Tax: Seller City Transfer Tax: Negotiable
Realtor contract for the purchase of residentialMarin Recording Fees: Buyer Title Insurance: Buyer
property is called "Allocation of Costs." It dealsEscrow Fees: Buyer County Transfer Tax: Seller
with whether the buyer or the seller pay forCity Transfer Tax: Seller Napa Recording Fees:
termite inspection, home inspection, smokeBuyer Title Insurance: Buyer Escrow Fees: Buyer
detector installation etc. The most costly itemsCounty Transfer Tax: Seller City Transfer Tax:
which seller and buyer negotiate are-- RecordingSacramento Recording Fees: Buyer Title
fees-- Title insurance-- Escrow Fees-- County andInsurance: Seller Escrow Fees: Seller or Split
City transfer tax.Anything can be negotiated andCounty Transfer Tax: Seller City Transfer Tax:
becomes binding on the parties who sign theSplit San Francisco Recording Fees: Buyer Title
contract; however, there are certain customsInsurance: Buyer Escrow Fees: Buyer County
which differ from county to county as to whoTransfer Tax: Seller City Transfer Tax: San
pays what.The following list gives an overviewMateo Recording Fees: Buyer Title Insurance:
about counties in and close to the Bay Area andBuyer Escrow Fees: Buyer County Transfer Tax:
the customary allocation of certain costs.WhenSeller City Transfer Tax: Seller or Split Santa
your Real Estate Agent writes your purchaseClara Recording Fees: Buyer Title Insurance: Seller
contract, make sure he marked the right checkEscrow Fees: Seller County Transfer Tax: Seller
boxes.In a buyer's market, buyers need not stickCity Transfer Tax: Seller or Split Solano Recording
to customs but can ask for more. Many sellersFees: Buyer Title Insurance: Buyer Escrow Fees:
cannot pay the higher interest rates and areBuyer County Transfer Tax: Seller City Transfer
happy to get out of a property, even if it meansTax: Seller Sonoma Recording Fees: Buyer Title
that they pay costs they would not have paidInsurance: Buyer Escrow Fees: Buyer County
two years ago. Alameda Recording Fees: BuyerTransfer Tax: Seller City Transfer Tax: Seller Yolo
Title Insurance: Buyer Escrow Fees: Buyer CountyRecording Fees: Seller Title Insurance: Seller
Transfer Tax: Seller City Transfer Tax: SplitEscrow Fees: Seller County Transfer Tax: Seller
Contra Costa Recording Fees: Buyer TitleCity Transfer Tax: Seller useful links: Nielsen is an
Insurance: Buyer Escrow Fees: Buyer CountyMBA and a broker in California.