South Carolina closings are attorney-led. There is no California-style escrow officer running the table. The buyer and seller each typically have counsel. The state collects a deed recording fee (“deed stamps”) of $1.85 per $500 of value — $3.70 per $1,000, about 0.37% of the price — and custom puts that on the seller.
Combined buyer + seller frictional costs often land around 2%–5% of price before real-estate commissions. The buyer’s cash-to-close is usually loan costs + prepaids + attorney, not the stamps.
This guide is for purchasers and sellers, especially Grand Strand / Horry County deals. It is written as a listicle so you can scan it, and so search and AI tools can pull clean answers.
Confirm every figure with the closing attorney. Rates and customs can be contracted around.
1. The 60-Second Split Costs
| Item | Customary payer in SC / Horry |
|---|---|
| Deed stamps ($3.70 / $1,000) | Seller (statute puts primary liability on the grantor) |
| Owner’s title policy | Seller in most Horry deals |
| Lender’s title policy | Buyer |
| Each side’s attorney | Each side |
| Appraisal, origination, underwriting | Buyer |
| Home inspection, CL-100 wood-destroying insect | Buyer (often pre-closing) |
| Survey | Negotiable; often buyer if lender requires |
| Recording the deed / mortgage | Buyer (small county fees) |
| HOA estoppel / transfer | Contract; often seller or split |
| Commission | Seller (unless otherwise agreed) |
| Tax and HOA prorations | Split by days owned |
Cash buyers skip loan fees and the lender policy. They still want an owner’s policy.
2. How Much Should You Budget?
Buyers (financed, typical range): about 2%–5% of price in closing costs plus down payment, or more if you prepay a full year of insurance and a fat escrow.
On a $400,000 Horry house, a working buyer budget before credits is often $8,000–$16,000 of non-down-payment cash (loan fees, attorney, lender title, inspection already paid, prepaid insurance/taxes). Credits and lender-paid origination move that around.
Sellers: deed stamps + owner’s title + attorney + commission + prorations. Stamps alone on $400,000 ≈ $1,480.
Combined friction (both sides, excluding commission): commonly cited 2%–5%. Commission is extra and is usually the largest seller line.
3. Deed Stamps (The SC Transfer Fee)
Official name: deed recording fee (S.C. Code § 12-24-10).
- $1.85 per $500 of consideration
- $1.30 state + $0.55 county
- Equals $3.70 per $1,000
| Sale price | Stamps (approx.) |
|---|---|
| $250,000 | $925 |
| $300,000 | $1,110 |
| $350,000 | $1,295 |
| $400,000 | $1,480 |
| $500,000 | $1,850 |
| $750,000 | $2,775 |
Who pays: the seller in virtually every standard residential contract. The buyer is a statutory backstop if the seller does not pay. You can flip it in the contract; you rarely do.
This is not the same as the small county fee to record the paper.
4. Title Insurance
Two policies:
- Owner’s policy — protects the buyer after closing
- Lender’s policy — required if there is a mortgage
Horry custom: seller pays the owner’s policy; buyer pays the lender’s. Other counties (some Upstate deals) negotiate more.
Premiums are filed with the SC Department of Insurance and vary by underwriter. Published 2026 consumer tables disagree on exact dollars. Use these as order-of-magnitude:
- Owner’s policy: often a few hundred to low thousands as price rises
- Lender’s simultaneous-issue: usually less than buying two full premiums
Ask the attorney for the quoted premium on this price before you lock the contract language.
5. Attorney Fees (This Is Not Optional Culture)
South Carolina closings run through licensed attorneys. Each party usually hires their own.
Ballpark residential fees: about $700–$2,000+ per side, more if there is a short sale, estate, survey fight, or messy title.
The contract (SCR Form 310 and related) addresses who picks the closing attorney and how some title costs follow that choice. Read paragraph 8. Do not assume “the lender’s attorney is free.”
6. What Buyers Pay Line by Line
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Loan origination / points | 0–1%+ of loan |
| Appraisal | ~$450–$850+ |
| Credit / underwriting / processing | $100–$1,000 combined |
| Lender’s title + endorsements | Quote |
| Buyer’s attorney | ~$700–$2,000+ |
| Recording (deed + mortgage) | ~$50–$300 |
| Survey (if required) | ~$400–$1,500 |
| Prepaid homeowners insurance | First year |
| Prepaid / escrowed property tax | Depends on closing date and 4% vs 6% |
| Flood (if AE/VE + loan) | First year + escrow |
| HOA transfer / move-in | $100–$500+; towers can be more |
| Compensating interest, courier, wire | Small |
Inspections (general, CL-100, sewer scope, wind mitigation later) are often paid before closing and still belong in the cash plan.
7. What Sellers Pay Line by Line
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Deed stamps | $3.70 / $1,000 |
| Owner’s title policy | Quote |
| Seller’s attorney / deed prep | Hundreds to low thousands |
| Commission | Per listing agreement |
| Mortgage payoff + per diem | Loan-specific |
| Tax and HOA proration | Days they still owned |
| HOA estoppel | Association fee |
| Repairs / credits | Negotiated |
In a buyer-leaning condo market, sellers also eat more credits than they did in 2021. That is a closing-cost cousin, not a stamp.
8. Grand Strand Add-Ons Buyers Forget
- Prepaid wind insurance — can dwarf the attorney fee
- Flood on AE/VE with a loan
- HOA estoppel and transfer (Barefoot layers, oceanfront regimes)
- Elevator / COI is a move cost, not a closing cost — still cash
- 4% vs 6% changes the tax proration and the escrow cushion
- New construction: builder credits can cover buyer costs; register your agent before the model
Cash Florida halfbacks still need owner’s title, attorney, stamps (seller), and a full year of insurance at the table.
9. $400,000 Teaching Worksheet (Horry, Financed Primary)
Illustrative, not a quote:
| Item | Side | Ballpark |
|---|---|---|
| Deed stamps | Seller | ~$1,480 |
| Owner’s title | Seller (custom) | Quote (hundreds–low thousands) |
| Lender’s title | Buyer | Quote |
| Each attorney | Each | ~$800–$1,500 each |
| Appraisal + loan fees | Buyer | $2,000–$6,000+ |
| Recording | Buyer | ~$150 |
| Insurance prepaid | Buyer | $2,000–$6,000+ inland vs beach |
| Tax escrow / prepaid | Buyer | Varies |
| Buyer cash besides down | Buyer | Often ~$8k–$16k before credits |
A seller-paid 2% concession on a stale condo can erase most of the buyer’s non-insurance lines. Use days-on-market.
10. How to Keep Costs From Blowing Up
- Get a Loan Estimate and a preliminary attorney fee sheet in week one
- Write seller concessions in the offer if the listing is stale
- Do not skip owner’s title to “save” $800
- Ask who pays owner’s policy in the contract, not at the table
- Time closing to tax-proration if you care about cash (minor vs insurance)
- New builds: stack builder closing-cost incentives against a rate buydown — run both
11. Decision Framework
- Cash or financed?
- Seller custom on stamps + owner’s title — is it in writing?
- Insurance prepaid — do I have the quote?
- HOA estoppel — which association?
- Credits vs price cut — which helps cash-to-close?
If 3 is missing, you do not have a closing-cost number. You have a guess.
12. FAQ
What are closing costs in South Carolina?
Buyer loan/attorney/prepaids plus seller stamps, owner’s title, and commission. Combined friction often 2%–5% of price before commission.
Who pays deed stamps?
Almost always the seller. Rate is $1.85 per $500 ($3.70 per $1,000).
Who pays title insurance?
Horry custom: seller = owner’s policy; buyer = lender’s policy.
Why do I need an attorney?
That is how SC closings work. Budget both sides.
Can the seller pay my closing costs?
Yes, if the contract and the lender allow. Common on buyer-friendly condos.
Are cash closings cheaper?
No loan fees. You still pay attorney, owner’s title (or the seller does), recording, and insurance.
13. Bottom Line
South Carolina closing costs are predictable if you separate stamps (seller, 0.37%), title custom (seller owner’s / buyer lender’s in Horry), attorneys (both), and prepaids (insurance will be the surprise on the Strand).
Budget the insurance quote first. Then the Loan Estimate. Then the attorney sheet. The rest is arithmetic.
