Distinguish an expense from a funding source
The down payment, closing costs and prepaids belong on the cost side of this simplified worksheet. Credits and an eligible deposit already paid reduce the remaining amount. A deposit may be part of your total contribution to the transaction while no longer being part of the new cash you need to send at closing.
A hypothetical funding example
Assume $50,000 down, $10,000 closing costs and $3,000 prepaids. The subtotal is $63,000. If $5,000 of applicable credits and a $10,000 deposit already paid are available, the remaining estimate is $48,000. The example assumes those amounts are valid for the transaction. It does not establish credit eligibility or replace a lender's calculation.
Avoid the two common double counts
Do not enter a prepaid expense again if it is already inside the closing-cost number you copied. Do not deduct a deposit twice because it appears in both an email summary and a closing statement. If using a complete cash-to-close figure from a document, reconcile that figure rather than adding its components on top of it.
Retain a separate reserve plan
A hypothetical household with $60,000 available and a $48,000 remaining closing need would have $12,000 before moving, repairs and other commitments. Whether that remainder is adequate depends on its circumstances. The worksheet does not set a required reserve or decide affordability.
Use actual closing instructions
Confirm the final cash requirement and authorized payment process with the appropriate closing professional using a trusted channel. This worksheet neither supplies wire instructions nor verifies a payment request. Resolve discrepancies before moving funds.
Hypothetical planning tool
Cash-to-close calculator
Simplified estimate. Confirm deposits, eligible credits, prepaids and the final amount with your actual closing documents.
Sources & further reading
- CFPB: Closing Disclosure explainer checked 2026-09-26
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