The Calculations Worth Doing in Georgia
Program and regulatory figures verified October 7, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Georgia's closing arithmetic barely needs a page. Two other calculations do.
The easy one
Take your purchase price and multiply by 0.1%. That is the transfer tax, and DOR says the seller is liable — while noting that contracts frequently shift it to the buyer.
| Price | Transfer tax at 0.1% |
|---|---|
| $150,000 | $150 |
| $200,000 | $200 |
| $300,000 | $300 |
| $377,428 (Atlanta typical) | about $378 |
| $400,000 | $400 |
★ Georgia also levies a separate intangible recording tax, and we publish no rate for it because we have not verified one at a primary source. That, plus recording fees, prepaid items and reserves, is your real closing cash. The detail.
★★ The credit calculation, with its ceiling
| Step | Figure |
|---|---|
| Per year | $5,000 |
| Years | not more than 5 |
| Maximum over five years | $25,000 |
| ★ Statewide annual aggregate | ★ $2,000,000 |
| ★ Credits that implies per year | ★ about 400 |
| Allocation | ★ first come, first served |
| Carryover | None |
| Hard ceiling | your income tax liability |
★ Two things that reduce the headline. The credit cannot exceed what you owe Georgia in a year, and anything unused is lost rather than carried forward. So "up to $25,000" assumes five full years of sufficient liability and a successful claim inside the annual cap each time.
We are lenders, not tax advisers, and we will not model your return. Take it to a tax professional and confirm current-year capacity with DOR. What a credit does.
★ The Atlanta deposit question
At 100% financing you start with $0 of equity. Atlanta fell 1.6% over the year to 31 August 2026 and Savannah 2.6%.
So in those two markets the calculation worth doing is not which loan but how much to borrow. A five-percent-down option exists, and if you might sell within a few years it is a materially different position.
Outside Atlanta and Savannah the pressure is lower: south Georgia rose 3.8% to 7.0%. The data.
The debt side
| Balance | Agency at 1% | FHA at 0.5% | Physician programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | Your documented income-driven payment |
| $300,000 | $3,000 | $1,500 | |
| $400,000 | $4,000 | $2,000 |
At Atlanta prices this substitution is often the whole approval. How it works.
Why there is no payment calculator
Because a payment figure needs a rate, and we do not publish rates. A calculator that invents one produces a number you would plan around, which is worse than no number.
We will run your actual scenario and show you real figures. Call Mike at (480) 296-6513 with your price, your county, your contract and your servicer documentation.
Frequently asked questions
How much are closing costs for a physician buying in Georgia?
The transfer tax is tiny and statutorily the seller's: 0.1% of the price, so $400 on a $400,000 purchase. Georgia also levies a separate intangible recording tax, for which we publish no rate because we have not verified one at a primary source, plus recording fees, prepaid taxes and insurance, and reserves, which together are your real closing cash.How much is Georgia's rural credit actually worth?
Up to $5,000 a year for not more than five years, so $25,000 at most. Two things reduce that: the credit cannot exceed your Georgia income tax liability in a year, and there is no carryover, so any unused portion is lost. The current credit is also capped at $2 million statewide per calendar year on a first come, first served basis, which is about 400 credits.Should I take 100% financing or put 5% down in Georgia?
It depends on the market. Atlanta fell 1.6% and Savannah 2.6% over the year to 31 August 2026, so in those two a five-percent deposit is a materially different risk position from starting at zero equity, particularly if you may move within a few years. South Georgia rose between 3.8% and 7.0% over the same period, where that pressure is much lower.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, visa, or licensure advice. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees, and overlays are set by the lender and change. Georgia's rural tax credits are set by statute and administered by the Georgia Department of Revenue; the Rural Health Care Professional Credit is subject to a $2 million annual aggregate cap allowed on a first come, first served basis, neither credit carries over, and neither can exceed the taxpayer's income tax liability. Nothing here is tax advice; confirm your position with a tax professional and with the Department of Revenue. Rural county designations are set by statute and census data and change. All loans are subject to borrower and property qualification, including credit and income review.