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MD Counties CoveredWhy Maryland Home Buyers Choose Our Calculator
Maryland's county transfer tax system is genuinely one of the most complicated in the country, and most online calculators just ignore it entirely or use a flat estimate. That's a problem, because the difference between Somerset County at 0.33% and Baltimore City's variable rate, which can push past 1.5% on higher-priced homes, is real money at your closing table.
So we built this calculator to handle all of it. All 23 counties, state and county transfer taxes calculated separately, title insurance, recording fees, settlement costs, and escrow accounts that are actually sized correctly. Not a ballpark. Real Maryland numbers.
Calculate Your Estimated Payment & Closing Costs
Use the sliders to instantly explore your options.
Understanding Your Cash to Close and Payment
That bottom number in the calculator is your full cash to close, which is your down payment plus closing costs combined. For Maryland buyers, closing costs run higher than in most states because of how county transfer taxes and property tax escrows work. Every county has its own rate, stacked on top of the state transfer tax, and they add up fast. Our calculator automatically applies your exact county rate.
A few things worth knowing about how the estimates work:
Property taxes are estimated at 1% of the purchase price annually if you haven't found a property yet. That's a reasonable Maryland average, but the real number varies by county. If you already have a specific property in mind, toggle to "I Have a Property" in the calculator and enter the actual annual tax amount for a more accurate payment and cash-to-close figure. You can also add your monthly HOA dues there if applicable.
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is one of the most complicated numbers in any mortgage estimate because lenders calculate it using more than 20 personal variables, including your credit score, loan-to-value ratio, loan type, and the property itself. The figure shown here uses a standard average with a slight upward bias, so your actual PMI will likely be equal to or slightly lower than what you see. Read our full guide on how Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) works and when it goes away.
Get a Personal Analysis of Your Numbers
The calculator gives you a strong starting point. But your actual rate, your county's exact fees, and any down payment assistance you may qualify for can change this picture significantly. Let's run your specific scenario together, no credit pull required.
*100% Confidential. No sales pressure, just honest numbers.
What Rate Should You Use?
Mortgage rates change every day. Sometimes two or three times in a single day. So whatever you punch into this calculator, treat it as a snapshot, not a guarantee.
Rates are driven by a combination of inflation expectations and the overall strength of the global economy. Here's the simple version: when inflation is dropping and the economy is softening, rates tend to improve. When the economy is running hot and inflation is climbing, rates go the other way. We lived through the extreme version of the post-pandemic period, with the highest inflation in several decades, even as the economy kept expanding. Rates more than doubled in less than two years.
Right now in 2026, oil is a wildcard. Conflict in the Middle East is sending energy prices higher, and oil touches everything literally in the supply chain. That's inflationary. But here's the other side of that coin: sustained high energy costs can eventually slow the economy, which could push rates lower down the road. It cuts both ways.
Our job at The Downs Mortgage Group isn't to predict rates. Nobody does that reliably. Our job is to help you understand what's driving the market and how that should factor into your homebuying timeline and strategy.
Rates Up? Your Tax Refund Goes Up Too.
As rates rise, your monthly payment increases. But so does your mortgage interest deduction, which means a bigger tax refund. Before you assume a higher rate is a dealbreaker, check what it actually costs you after taxes.
Rates shown are national market averages from Mortgage News Daily. DC Metro borrowers typically qualify for rates slightly below these averages due to larger loan sizes and stronger local credit profiles.
