Martha’s Vineyard real estate.
The Vineyard runs on the same Massachusetts framework as Nantucket — and the same 2% Land Bank fee (buyer-paid) applies, here under the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Act of 1986. The MA deed excise of 0.456% on the seller side and MA-required attorney representation round out the structure. Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Chilmark, West Tisbury, Aquinnah — all six towns sit under the same Dukes County statutory framework.
Martha’s Vineyard closing cost calculators.
Martha’s Vineyard Buyer Closing Cost Calculator
Land Bank fee (2%, subject to exemptions), MA-style title insurance, attorney representation, recording fees, and lender items if financed. The Land Bank fee dominates the buyer side — exemption applicability is the meaningful planning lever before contract.
Martha’s Vineyard Seller Closing Cost Calculator
MA deed excise (0.456%), broker commission, attorney fees, MA-specific items (smoke + CO certificate, municipal lien certificate, final water readings), release-of-mortgage recording. No mansion tax, no NYC RPTT — materially lighter seller-side math than Manhattan.
The Vineyard’s framework.
Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank — 2% buyer-paid
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission (Mass. Acts of 1986 Ch. 736) charges 2% on residential transfers in Dukes County, buyer-paid, with proceeds funding island land conservation. Same structure and rate as the Nantucket Islands Land Bank. The exemption mechanics — primary-residence carve-outs, family-transfer carve-outs, threshold rules — are property-specific and warrant local attorney review before contract.
MA deed excise — seller-side state tax
$4.56 per $1,000 of consideration (~0.456%) statewide. Per MGL Ch. 64D §1. Seller-paid by MA custom. On a $5M Vineyard sale, that’s about $22,800 — a fraction of the equivalent Manhattan transfer tax stack.
Six towns, same framework
Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven (Tisbury), Chilmark, West Tisbury, and Aquinnah all sit within Dukes County. The closing math is the same across the six towns — the Land Bank, the MA deed excise, and the MA attorney requirement apply uniformly. Price + property type drive the line items, not town.
MA-specific seller obligations
- Smoke + carbon-monoxide detector certificate (required to close)
- Municipal lien certificate (confirms no outstanding municipal charges)
- Final water-meter reading
- Attorney representation required by MA practice
Considering a Vineyard transaction?
For Manhattan clients evaluating a Vineyard purchase or sale, the meaningful planning conversation centers on the Land Bank exemption applicability (on the buyer side), the seasonal listing strategy (the Vineyard market timing is more pronounced than Manhattan), and selecting the right Compass island specialist. A 30-minute consultation gets you the framework.
The Roebling Team at Compass executes transactions directly in Manhattan. For Martha's Vineyard buyers and sellers, we collaborate with Compass agents in Martha's Vineyard via referral — clients work with the best on-the-ground representation while keeping the analytical framework consistent across markets. This calculator is an informational research tool, not solicitation of representation.
For trans-market clients (Manhattan + Martha's Vineyard portfolios) or to discuss your specific transaction, schedule a consultation. Where appropriate, we’ll introduce you to a vetted Compass agent in the local market.