Washtenaw County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Washtenaw County, Michigan - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.11%
- ≈ $440 on a $400,000 home
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $4,253
- median of 2,934 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Washtenaw County compared with Michigan counties
In the verified Michigan county records we have, Washtenaw County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #1 of 7 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $440, which is $3,000 below the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #1 of 7
- within verified Michigan county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $440
- state baseline $3,440
- HMDA fee sample
- 2,934
- purchase loans in 2023
Washtenaw County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Washtenaw County
County transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 = $0.55 per $500 = 0.0011 of price, levied on top of the SEPARATE Michigan STATE transfer tax of $7.50 per $1,000 ($3.75 per $500 = 0.0075). Both are statutory (MCL 207.523 county / MCL 207.504 state). The combined transfer tax (county + state) is conventionally paid by the SELLER (grantor) at closing in Michigan, though negotiable by contract. County rate of $0.55/$500 applies to counties under 2 million population; only Wayne County may charge up to $0.75/$500 — Washtenaw uses the standard $0.55/$500. Deed recording fee is a flat $30/document statewide. No city/municipal transfer tax in Ann Arbor or other Washtenaw municipalities (Michigan does not authorize local transfer taxes beyond state+county).
Recording fees in Washtenaw County
Flat $30.00 per document to record a deed, mortgage, lis pendens, or other instrument, regardless of page count (Michigan statewide flat fee per PA 224 of 2016, effective Oct 1, 2016; inclusive of Remonumentation and Register of Deeds Automation fees). Add $3.00 for each additional instrument assigned or discharged in a single document.
Official recorder: Washtenaw County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Washtenaw County
Across 2,934 home-purchase mortgages originated in Washtenaw County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $4,253, of which about $1,712 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 26161, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Washtenaw County closing costs
Pre-set to Michigan. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Washtenaw County?
Washtenaw County (Michigan): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.11%. County transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 = $0.55 per $500 = 0.0011 of price, levied on top of the SEPARATE Michigan STATE transfer tax of $7.50 per $1,000 ($3.75 per $500 = 0.0075). Both are statutory (MCL 207.523 county / MCL 207.504 state). The combined transfer tax (county + state) is conventionally paid by the SELLER (grantor) at closing in Michigan, though negotiable by contract. County rate of $0.55/$500 applies to counties under 2 million population; only Wayne County may charge up to $0.75/$500 — Washtenaw uses the standard $0.55/$500. Deed recording fee is a flat $30/document statewide. No city/municipal transfer tax in Ann Arbor or other Washtenaw municipalities (Michigan does not authorize local transfer taxes beyond state+county).
What are recording fees in Washtenaw County?
Flat $30.00 per document to record a deed, mortgage, lis pendens, or other instrument, regardless of page count (Michigan statewide flat fee per PA 224 of 2016, effective Oct 1, 2016; inclusive of Remonumentation and Register of Deeds Automation fees). Add $3.00 for each additional instrument assigned or discharged in a single document.
How much are closing costs in Washtenaw County?
Closing costs in Washtenaw County follow Michigan's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Washtenaw County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 2,934 home-purchase mortgages in Washtenaw County were about $4,253, of which roughly $1,712 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest Michigan county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.