Virginia Mortgage Calculator
Estimate your monthly payment on a Virginia home — principal & interest, property taxes, and homeowner's insurance — then see how Virginia's recordation and grantor's taxes work at closing, with a worked example. Enter your own numbers; nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
Estimate your monthly payment
Defaults reflect a $400,000 Virginia home with 20% down at 6.50% for 30 years, with taxes at roughly the statewide effective average of about 0.82% and a typical insurance premium. Adjust any field and the estimate updates instantly.
| Component | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Principal & interest | $2,022.62 |
| Property taxes | $273.33 |
| Homeowner's insurance | $150.00 |
This estimate covers principal & interest, taxes, and insurance only. It does not include PMI (which may apply with less than 20% down), HOA or condo dues, or one-time closing costs. Estimates are for planning only — not a quote, a rate offer, a loan approval, or tax advice.
Virginia transfer & recordation taxes, explained
Virginia does not use a single "transfer tax." Instead, buying a home involves a grantor's tax paid by the seller and two recordation taxes the buyer customarily pays — one on the deed and one on the deed of trust (the mortgage). Here is how each one works.
Grantor's tax
Charged on the value of the property being transferred — the same as $1.00 per $1,000. On a $400,000 sale, the grantor's tax is $400, paid by the seller.
Recordation tax — deed
The state recordation tax on the deed is based on the purchase price. A local recordation tax equal to one-third of the state rate (about $0.0833 per $100) is added on top, also paid by the buyer.
Recordation tax — deed of trust
A separate state recordation tax at the same $0.25 per $100 rate applies to the deed of trust, calculated on the loan amount rather than the price — plus the local one-third add-on, paid by the buyer.
Regional extras (seller-paid)
Two regions add their own fee on top of the grantor's tax:
Northern Virginia congestion relief fee
Applies in Planning District 8: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
Hampton Roads transportation fee
A transportation improvement fee applies in the Hampton Roads region (Planning District 23), which includes Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
And the property tax itself
Separately from closing, Virginia property taxes are set by each county and city. The effective rate averages roughly 0.82% of home value statewide, but it varies by locality — some Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads jurisdictions run higher, many rural counties lower. Use your locality's actual rate in the estimator above rather than assuming one statewide number.
Worked example: $400,000 purchase, $360,000 loan
Say you buy a $400,000 Virginia home with 10% down, so the loan is $360,000. Here is exactly what the grantor's and recordation taxes come to, line by line.
| Tax | Based on | Rate | Amount | Paid by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grantor's tax | $400,000 price | $0.50 per $500 | $400.00 | Seller |
| Recordation tax on deed — state | $400,000 price | $0.25 per $100 | $1,000.00 | Buyer |
| Recordation tax on deed — local | $400,000 price | ⅓ of state rate | $333.33 | Buyer |
| Recordation tax on deed of trust — state | $360,000 loan | $0.25 per $100 | $900.00 | Buyer |
| Recordation tax on deed of trust — local | $360,000 loan | ⅓ of state rate | $300.00 | Buyer |
| Buyer's total recordation taxes (state + local) | $2,533.33 | Buyer | ||
| Buyer's total, state taxes only | $1,900.00 | Buyer | ||
| Seller's grantor's tax | $400.00 | Seller | ||
Check the math: the deed taxes run on the $400,000 price (4,000 hundreds × $0.25 = $1,000 state, plus one-third locally = $333.33), while the deed-of-trust taxes run on the smaller $360,000 loan amount (3,600 hundreds × $0.25 = $900 state, plus $300 local). If the home were in Northern Virginia, the seller would also owe the $0.20 per $100 congestion relief fee — $800 on this price. These figures are an educational example, not tax advice; your settlement agent confirms the exact amounts for your transaction.
Buying in Virginia's major metros
The state tax structure is the same everywhere in Virginia, but the regional fees and local property tax rates differ. A quick orientation by market:
Northern Virginia — Arlington & Fairfax
The state's priciest market, inside Planning District 8, so sellers here also pay the $0.20 per $100 congestion relief fee on top of the grantor's tax. Buyers pay the standard deed and deed-of-trust recordation taxes, and local property tax rates in Arlington and Fairfax County sit near the statewide effective average — verify the current rate for your specific property before budgeting.
Richmond
The capital region carries no regional transfer fee, so closing taxes are the standard set: seller-paid grantor's tax, and buyer-paid recordation taxes on the deed and the deed of trust. The City of Richmond's property tax rate runs higher than most Virginia localities, which makes the annual tax line — not the closing taxes — the number to check carefully here.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is in Hampton Roads (Planning District 23), so sellers pay the $0.06 per $100 transportation improvement fee in addition to the grantor's tax — $240 on a $400,000 sale. Buyers pay the usual recordation taxes, and coastal insurance premiums can run higher than inland, so get a real insurance quote before relying on the estimator's default.
Norfolk
Also in Hampton Roads, Norfolk sales carry the same seller-paid $0.06 per $100 transportation improvement fee. As a major military hub, Norfolk sees heavy VA loan volume — if you're buying with a VA loan, the recordation taxes still apply the same way, calculated on the price and the loan amount.
Virginia mortgage FAQs
How much are Virginia recordation taxes when I buy a home?
Virginia charges a state recordation tax of $0.25 per $100 on the deed, based on the purchase price, and a separate state recordation tax of $0.25 per $100 on the deed of trust, based on the loan amount. A local recordation tax equal to one-third of the state rate (about $0.0833 per $100) is added to each. The buyer customarily pays these taxes.
Who pays the grantor's tax in Virginia — buyer or seller?
The seller pays the grantor's tax in Virginia. It is $0.50 per $500 of the value of the property (the same as $1.00 per $1,000), so on a $400,000 sale the grantor's tax is $400. Like most closing costs, who pays can be negotiated in the contract, but the customary allocation is seller-paid.
Are there extra transfer fees in Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads?
Yes. In Northern Virginia (Planning District 8, including Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park), a congestion relief fee of $0.20 per $100 applies and is paid by the seller. In the Hampton Roads region (Planning District 23), a transportation improvement fee of $0.06 per $100 applies, also paid by the seller.
What property tax rate should I enter for a Virginia home?
Virginia's effective property tax rate averages roughly 0.82% of home value statewide, but the actual rate is set by your county or city and varies meaningfully by locality. The estimator defaults to $3,280 per year on a $400,000 home (0.82%) as a starting point — replace it with your locality's rate times the assessed value for a closer estimate.
Does this Virginia mortgage estimate include PMI, HOA dues, or closing costs?
No. This estimator covers principal & interest, property taxes, and homeowner's insurance only. If you put down less than 20%, private mortgage insurance may apply, and HOA or condo dues, prepaid escrows, and one-time closing costs such as Virginia's recordation taxes are separate. The figures are estimates for planning only — not a quote, a loan approval, or tax advice.
Want a real number for your Virginia purchase?
The estimator is a starting point. Adam DeCraene, Mortgage Loan Originator with West Capital Lending, works with over 175 wholesale lenders and is licensed in Virginia. Apply online in minutes, or book a consultation to walk through your payment, taxes, and closing costs together.