This guide walks you through filling out a closing cost worksheet template for a mortgage on a Stafford County purchase. When you finish, you will have a completed worksheet built from your Loan Estimate, so you know your cash to close before you make an offer. Before you start, have three things on hand: a rough price range, a recent Loan Estimate or a quote from Duane Buziak, and your expected down payment. Duane Buziak is a mortgage broker who has been helping families find their new homes since 2014, and the example below uses the numbers he would ask you for.
Step 1: Set Up Your Worksheet With the Right Columns
Build a spreadsheet or download a template with four columns: line item, Loan Estimate amount, final Closing Disclosure amount, and who pays (buyer, seller, or lender credit). The last two columns stay empty until later, but you want them in place now so every number has a home.
Group the rows the way the Loan Estimate does, so you can copy straight across without hunting:
- Section A: Origination charges
- Section B: Services you cannot shop for
- Section C: Services you can shop for
- Section E: Taxes and government fees
- Sections F and G: Prepaids and escrow reserves
- Section H: Other
Below those rows, add a separate block for your down payment, earnest money already paid, and seller credits. Keeping these apart from the fee rows is what makes the last line true cash to close. Many buyers treat the down payment as a different bucket from closing costs, then forget to add the two together when they budget.
Mistake to avoid: generic templates often skip prepaids and escrow reserves. In Virginia those two sections can rival the lender fees, and they are the most common surprise at the closing table. If your template has no rows for them, add them now.
Step 2: Enter Your Stafford Price, Loan Type, and Down Payment
Pick the purchase price first. This guide carries one illustration all the way through: a $525,000 home in a community like Embrey Mill or England Run. Check a current Stafford-specific market report for the median price as of 2026, since it moves, and use your own target range in place of this number.
Next, choose the loan type, because it decides which rows you need. Conventional loans add mortgage insurance when you put down less than 20%. FHA adds an upfront premium. VA adds a funding fee. Fix the loan type before you fill in anything else.
Segment B illustration (conventional): $525,000 price with 10% down is $52,500 down and a $472,500 loan. At 5% down, the down payment is $26,250 and the loan is $498,750. The 90% loan-to-value ceiling applies to conventional cash-out refinances, and purchase rules can differ, so confirm your own program with Duane before you lock in a down payment figure.
Side note for Quantico commuters (VA): a VA purchase of the same home can be done with no down payment, so the loan starts at $525,000 before any funding fee. As of 2026 the first-use fee for a zero-down purchase has been 2.15%, which would be $11,287.50 on this price, but verify the current table on the VA funding fee page. The fee can be financed into the loan, and veterans receiving VA disability compensation may be exempt. Enter it as its own row so you can see whether it is paid in cash or financed.
The rest of the guide uses the conventional 10% down case: loan amount $472,500, with an assumed 6.5% rate for illustration only.
Step 3: Fill In Lender Charges From Your Loan Estimate
Open page 2 of your Loan Estimate and copy Section A exactly as printed: origination fee, underwriting, processing, and any discount points. Discount points are optional prepaid interest. You pay a fee up front, and in return the rate is lower for the life of the loan. If your quote has none, leave the row at zero rather than deleting it, because you will want it when you compare quotes.
Then record Section B: the appraisal, credit report, and flood certification. The lender requires these and chooses the vendors, so you cannot shop them. In our example, Section A totals $5,500 and Section B totals $725 (appraisal $650, credit report $60, flood certification $15). These are illustrations, not quotes.
Entering a lender credit
A no-out-of-pocket closing option works by taking a slightly higher rate in exchange for a lender credit that offsets fees. In the worksheet, enter the credit as a negative number on its own row, for example −$4,000. The costs do not disappear. You are paying for them over time through the rate, so compare the monthly payment difference against the up-front savings before you decide.
Because Duane Buziak is a mortgage broker, not a lender, he can quote different rate-versus-cost pairings for the same loan. Ask for at least two: one with points, one with a credit. Put each in its own copy of the worksheet so the lines match up when you compare them.
Step 4: Add Title, Settlement, and Government Recording Fees
Section C holds the services you may shop for. Enter the lender’s title insurance, the owner’s title policy, the settlement fee, and the title search. In our example: lender’s policy $1,200, owner’s policy $1,600, settlement fee $700, and title search $350, for $3,850. Stafford Mortgage by Duane Buziak offers title services, so you can request a title quote alongside your loan quote and enter both.
Section E covers recording fees and Virginia taxes. These include a recording fee for the deed and deed of trust, and state and local recordation taxes. As of 2026, the state recordation tax has been 25 cents per $100, with a local portion added on top. Rates and who owes what can change, so confirm them with the Virginia Department of Taxation and the Stafford County Circuit Court Clerk’s office through Stafford County’s official site.
For illustration, we use $3,475 in Section E: $150 in recording fees, about $1,575 in recordation tax on the deed of trust, and about $1,750 in recordation tax on the deed.
The grantor’s tax is generally the seller’s cost in Virginia. Mark it in the “who pays” column as seller, but confirm with your contract and settlement agent, since arrangements can be negotiated.
Mistake to avoid: do not leave title rows blank because your lender estimate bundles them differently. Some estimates fold the settlement fee and title search into one line. Enter the combined amount on one row and note the grouping, so you can compare it fairly against another quote.
Step 5: Calculate Prepaids and Escrow Reserves for Stafford County
Sections F and G cover costs you pay ahead of time. Start with the easy ones:
- Homeowners insurance: usually 12 months paid at closing. Get a quote through Stafford Mortgage by Duane Buziak’s insurance services and enter it. Our example uses $1,800.
- Prepaid interest: loan amount times rate, divided by 365, times the days from closing to month end. For us: $472,500 × 6.5% ÷ 365 = about $84.14 per day. Closing with 15 days left in the month gives about $1,262.
For escrow reserves, look up the current rate per $100 of assessed value on the Stafford County Commissioner of the Revenue and Treasurer pages (verify the 2026 rate). Suppose the rate is $1.00 per $100 for illustration. A $525,000 assessment gives $5,250 a year, or $437.50 a month. Lenders typically collect two to six months of reserves, so four months is $1,750. Add three months of insurance reserves at $150 a month, $450. Section G totals $2,200.
Neighborhood costs go in Section H. Communities such as Embrey Mill, England Run, and Aquia Harbour may charge HOA dues or an initial capital contribution at closing. Ask the HOA or the seller’s agent for the figure and enter it. Our example uses $500.
Finally, check flood risk. Homes in Aquia Harbour and waterfront properties near the Potomac and Aquia Creek may require flood insurance, which can be a large added premium. Look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before you finalize the insurance rows.
Step 6: Subtract Credits and Total Your Cash to Close
Add every section, then subtract credits and earnest money, and add the down payment. The completed example below uses the numbers from the previous steps. The Closing Disclosure column stays blank until that document arrives.
| Line Item | Loan Estimate Amount | Closing Disclosure Amount | Who Pays | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origination charges (A) | $5,500 | Enter at closing | Buyer | No discount points |
| Cannot-shop services (B) | $725 | Enter at closing | Buyer | Appraisal, credit, flood cert |
| Shoppable services (C) | $3,850 | Enter at closing | Buyer | Title and settlement |
| Taxes and government fees (E) | $3,475 | Enter at closing | Buyer (grantor’s tax: seller) | Verify current rates |
| Prepaids (F) | $3,062 | Enter at closing | Buyer | $1,800 insurance, $1,262 interest |
| Escrow reserves (G) | $2,200 | Enter at closing | Buyer | 4 months tax, 3 months insurance |
| Other (H) | $500 | Enter at closing | Buyer | HOA capital contribution |
| Total closing costs | $19,312 | |||
| Down payment (10%) | $52,500 | Buyer | Not a closing cost, but cash you owe | |
| Seller credit | −$5,000 | Seller | Per contract | |
| Earnest money paid | −$5,000 | Buyer | Already deposited | |
| Cash to close | $61,812 |
Cross-check this against the Calculating Cash to Close box on page 1 of your Loan Estimate. If the two differ, look first for a missed prepaid, a reserve count that does not match, or a credit entered with the wrong sign.
Two rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau help you read the final numbers. You must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. And fees can only rise within limits: some cannot increase at all (zero tolerance), some can rise by a combined 10%, and others, such as prepaid interest and insurance premiums, can change without limit. See the CFPB’s Owning a Home resources for the full categories.
Step 7: Compare Quotes and Re-Check Before Closing
Duplicate the finished worksheet for each additional quote and keep the same column layout. Comparing line by line, rather than by the bottom number, shows where the difference really sits: a higher origination charge, a different title estimate, or a rate that trades points for a credit. Do not compare a quote with prepaids against one that left them out.
When the Closing Disclosure arrives, fill in the final column. Flag any line that rose, then check it against the tolerance categories from Step 6. A zero-tolerance fee that grew is worth a direct question to your broker or settlement agent.
If any line is unclear, ask Duane Buziak to walk through it with you. You can reach him at 540-870-5594.
If you are a Quantico buyer with orders, add two cushions. First, budget for a rate lock extension in case your closing slips, since an extension typically costs money. Second, set aside cash for moving-related needs that do not appear on any lender document, such as deposits, travel, and overlapping housing costs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Closing Cost Worksheets
What is a closing cost worksheet?
It is a line-by-line list of every fee, tax, prepaid, and credit in your purchase, organized like the Loan Estimate, that totals your cash to close.
How much are closing costs in Stafford?
It depends on price, loan type, and who pays what. Build a worksheet from your own Loan Estimate rather than relying on a general percentage. In our illustration, a $525,000 purchase came to $19,312.
Who pays recordation tax?
In Virginia, the buyer generally pays recordation tax on the deed of trust, and the seller generally pays the grantor’s tax. Contracts can vary, so verify with your settlement agent and the Virginia Department of Taxation.
What are prepaids?
Prepaids are costs paid at closing for future periods, mainly homeowners insurance and interest from closing day to month end.
Can I roll closing costs into the loan?
Sometimes. A VA funding fee can be financed, and a lender credit can offset fees in exchange for a higher rate. Other costs generally must be paid, though options depend on the program.
What is a lender credit?
A lender credit reduces your up-front costs in exchange for a slightly higher interest rate. Enter it as a negative line in your worksheet.
When do I get the Loan Estimate?
You receive it within three business days after submitting a loan application.
How do I compare two quotes?
Fill out one worksheet per quote with the same rows and columns, then compare each section, not just the total.
Keep the Worksheet Beside Your Loan Estimate
A finished worksheet is only useful if you keep using it. Store it next to your Loan Estimate, update the final column when the Closing Disclosure arrives, and call 540-870-5594 to have Duane build one for your own purchase. Your dream home in Stafford County is closer than you think, with personalized mortgage solutions and local expertise that puts your family’s needs first. Connect with Duane Buziak today to explore flexible home loan options, discover competitive rates, and get the trusted guidance that has earned recognition as one of Virginia’s top mortgage professionals through Stafford Mortgage by Duane Buziak.