Allen Markel, REALTOR® · Texas Premier Realty

Buying

Cash to close

Down payment, lender and title fees, and prepaids — what it takes to get the keys, less seller credits and your earnest money.

A typical recent 30-year rate. Edit to your lender's quote.

An assumption — origination, appraisal, lender's title policy, escrow, survey, recording. Your Loan Estimate has the real figure.

Interest is prepaid from closing to month end — a late-month closing needs less cash.

Concessions toward your costs. Caps run 3–9% of the price by loan type and down payment.

Paid when the contract is signed; it counts toward your cash to close.

Property tax: 2.25% typical in Harris County. Typical total rate for the 17,904 homes for sale in Harris County (median of their certified 2025 tax bills; most are between 2.13% and 2.51%). Add your ZIP for a closer figure.

Cash to close

$29,340 estimated

Down payment (5%)
$17,500
Lender & title fees (2% of $332,500)
$6,650
Homeowner's insurance, first year
$1,925
Escrow reserves (3 mo tax, 2 mo insurance)
$2,290
Prepaid interest (16 days)
$975
Total cash to close
$29,340
Earnest money already paid
−$3,500
Due at the closing table
$25,840

Insurance reserves use a budgetary 0.55% of the price a year; tax reserves use the typical 2.25% rate in Harris County. Many buyers start with 3% down; seller credits can cover much of the rest.

Live listings across our six counties.

We’re not a lender — this is a budgetary estimate, not a Loan Estimate or Closing Disclosure. It leaves out an FHA upfront premium or VA funding fee (usually added to the loan), HOA transfer fees, and any repairs you agree to pay for. A lender gives you the real figures within three business days of an application — we’ll introduce you below.

Talk to a lender

These are the lenders Allen works with. For any lender you’d like to talk to, tap Make introduction — we’ll make the introduction for you.

Allen Markel is a licensed Texas REALTOR®, not a mortgage lender or loan originator. He does not quote rates or terms and does not decide whether you qualify — only a lender can do that. Introductions are a courtesy; you choose who to work with.

Numbers raising questions? Walk through them with a person.

Schedule time with Allen