- Confirm the jurisdiction of every home on your list: city or county, and school district (which jurisdiction an Alpharetta address is in).
- Price the yearly tax in that jurisdiction with the tax and closing-cost estimator.
- Write the offer with your agent, including the due-diligence period and the closing attorney.
- Inspect and review inside the due-diligence period: structure, roof, systems, septic, survey, flood map, association documents. The due-diligence checklist keeps the list.
- Close with the attorney; the transfer and intangible taxes are paid at the closing table.
- File for homestead with the county once you live in the home.
Georgia rules at closing
- Georgia treats conducting a real estate closing as the practice of law, so a Georgia attorney must handle the closing (In re UPL Advisory Opinion 2003-2, 277 Ga. 472 (2003)) (not yet confirmed by the official source). Supreme Court of Georgia, In re UPL Advisory Opinion 2003-2, 277 Ga. 472, 588 S.E.2d 741 (2003), via secondary summaries, checked 2026-10-19
- Georgia's real estate transfer tax is $1 for the first $1,000 of the sale price plus 10 cents for each additional $100 or part of $100, which works out to $1 per $1,000. It must be paid before the deed can be recorded (O.C.G.A. 48-6-1 to 48-6-10). Georgia Department of Revenue: Real Estate Transfer Tax, checked 2026-10-19
- Georgia's intangible recording tax on a long-term note secured by real estate is $1.50 per $500 (or part of $500) of the note's face amount, up to $25,000 per note. The lender may pass the tax on to the borrower. Georgia Department of Revenue: Intangible Recording Tax, checked 2026-10-19
| Price | Transfer tax on the deed | Loan (80% of price) | Intangible tax on the loan |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000,000 | $1,000 | $800,000 | $2,400 |
| $2,000,000 | $2,000 | $1,600,000 | $4,800 |
| $3,000,000 | $3,000 | $2,400,000 | $7,200 |
Questions to ask about any luxury listing
- Is there a homeowners association, and what do its covenants say about fences, outbuildings, rentals and exterior changes?
- Is the home on public sewer or a septic system?
- Is any part of the lot in a mapped flood zone?
- What did the seller pay in property tax last year, and which exemptions were on that bill?
For owners of fine homes
Want your home featured here? List with Gold Peach Realty.
Homes listed with Gold Peach Realty are featured in the listings on this guide and on the brokerage’s other Georgia community sites, next to the questions luxury buyers are already searching: which city, which taxes, which schools.
Questions buyers ask
When is the homestead exemption deadline?
April 1. In Georgia you can apply any time after the home becomes your primary residence, up to April 1 of the first year you want the exemption.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue: County Property Tax Facts (Fulton; Forsyth)
How much is the transfer tax on a home in Georgia?
Georgia’s transfer tax is $1 for the first $1,000 of the price plus 10 cents for each additional $100, about $1 per $1,000. On a $1.5 million sale it is $1,500.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue: Real Estate Transfer Tax
What is Georgia’s intangible tax on a mortgage?
Georgia’s intangible recording tax on a long-term note is $1.50 per $500 of the loan, capped at $25,000 per note. On a $1,000,000 loan it is $3,000.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue: Intangible Recording Tax
Who pays the transfer tax in Georgia?
The Georgia Department of Revenue says the seller is liable for it, though sales contracts often shift it to the buyer. Read your contract.
Source: Georgia Department of Revenue: Real Estate Transfer Tax
Tax rates, exemptions and rules change every year. Every number on this page links to the office that sets it; confirm with that office before you rely on it.
