Title and settlement in Edgewater, Riva and Mayo

Edgewater, Riva and Mayo are waterfront communities on the south side of the South River, across from Annapolis, with the Mayo peninsula running out between the South and Rhode Rivers. None of them is an incorporated town. A sale here pays Anne Arundel County taxes and no town tax. What makes settlement here different is the water: shoreline building rules, piers and boat ramps, community beaches, and small taxing districts that add their own charge to the tax bill.

Below is what a buyer, seller or agent in these communities should expect between the signed contract and the keys.

Transfer and recordation taxes

When the deed is recorded, three government taxes are due: the state transfer tax, the Anne Arundel County transfer tax and the county recordation tax. Our Anne Arundel County page shows each rate with its source and works the numbers out. At the county median price of $509,990, the total for all three is $11,219.85. Split equally, that is $5,609.92 for the buyer and $5,609.93 for the seller (the odd cent goes to the seller). Enter your own price in the calculator, and turn on the first-time buyer option if it fits.

Maryland law presumes an equal split unless the contract says something else, and many contracts do, so your signed contract decides.

The main exception is a sale to a first-time Maryland home buyer who will live in the home. The state transfer tax drops to 0.25% of the price, and the seller pays all of it. The seller also pays the county transfer tax and the recordation tax unless the contract expressly says otherwise. A first-time buyer here means someone who has never owned a Maryland home they lived in as their main home, and every buyer on the deed must give a sworn statement.

Two points to know before you agree on the numbers:

• $1 million and up. At a price of $1,000,000 or more, the county transfer tax rate is 1.5% instead of 1%, and the higher rate applies to the whole price, not only the amount above the line. On a waterfront sale near that figure, check the calculator before you settle on a price or a split.
• The buyer’s purchase loan. A purchase-money mortgage or deed of trust that is signed and recorded within the time limits in Maryland law is not subject to recordation tax.

These are taxes only. Title insurance premiums, our fee, the lender’s charges, the clerk’s recording fees and the tax adjustments come on top. Get a full estimate from our instant quote, and see every county rate in the Anne Arundel County closing costs guide.

The tax bill and community district charges

For FY2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027), an Edgewater, Riva or Mayo home is taxed at the county rate of $0.968 per $100 of assessed value (down from $0.977 in FY2026) plus the state rate of $0.112 per $100. An owner who lives in the home as a main residence can get the homestead credit, which limits how much the taxable assessment can rise each year: 2% for the county tax and 10% for the state tax.

The credit does not carry over to a buyer. SDAT mails an application to new owners after the deed is recorded, and the settlement agent must give the buyer a copy of the Homestead application at settlement. If you will live in the home, send in the application soon after settlement.

Anne Arundel County has 95 small taxing districts: special community benefit districts, shore erosion control districts and waterways improvement districts. The County Council sets each district’s charge every year, and the county collects it with the property tax bill of each home inside the district. Two of these districts carry the names of communities in this area. For FY2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027), the Selby on the Bay district charges $140 per tax account, and the South River Park district charges $300 per tax account.

Some districts charge a flat amount for each tax account. Others charge a rate on assessed value. So two communities a few streets apart can pay very different amounts. The money can pay for things such as a community beach, pier, road or shoreline work. A district covers a set area, so do not go by the neighborhood name or the mailing address. The seller’s current tax bill shows whether the home pays a district charge, and buyers should look at it before signing the contract. Because the charge is on the tax bill, it is normally adjusted between buyer and seller at settlement along with the rest of the bill, but your contract sets the terms. Our guide to Anne Arundel special tax districts explains how these districts work.

Ask early about any unpaid water, sewer or other county charges on the property, because they can change what is owed at settlement.

What we check on Edgewater, Riva and Mayo titles

Critical area and work near the shore

Lots within 1,000 feet of tidal water or tidal wetlands are in the Chesapeake Bay critical area, which brings a minimum 100-foot buffer and impervious-surface limits. Maryland law requires every contract for the sale of real property to include a notice about the critical area. That notice tells the buyer the rules may apply. It does not tell anyone whether a deck, shed, patio, pier or bulkhead on the lot was built with the approvals it needed. In Anne Arundel County, if the county or the State has started enforcement over a violation of a local law on the property, and the violation has not been cured, the contract must describe the violation, the status of the enforcement and what the buyer may need to do to cure it.

If you are buying on or near the water, ask the seller for the permits and approvals for any work close to the shore before settlement. If you plan to add on, rebuild or widen a driveway, talk to the county’s critical area planners first, because the limits on paved and built-over surface can rule out some plans. Our waterfront and critical area guide goes into more detail.

Community beaches, piers and boat ramps

In many Edgewater and Mayo neighborhoods, a home comes with the use of a community beach, pier or boat ramp, even though the owner does not own the shoreline. That right may come from the deed, the subdivision plat, recorded covenants, or membership in a community group. When the right is in the land records, the title search should show where it comes from. The buyer should know whether it goes with the house automatically or depends on membership or paying dues.

If the home has its own pier or slip, the survey should show that it runs out from the lot’s own shoreline. A pier shared with a neighbor should be covered by a written agreement. Ask the seller for the pier and bulkhead permits. An owner’s title policy is optional in Maryland, and its premium is paid once, at settlement. If you buy one, it may list riparian rights or water access as an exception, so ask us what your policy will and will not cover.

Old plats and combined lots

Many homes here sit on lots from older subdivision plats, sometimes two or more lots joined together. The deed description, the plat and the fences on the ground may not line up. A survey shows where the house, driveway and sheds sit against the lot lines, and whether anything crosses onto a neighbor’s lot or an unbuilt “paper” street. If they do not match, our article on handling boundary disputes sets out the options.

Homeowners associations

When a home is in a homeowners association, the Maryland Homeowners Association Act generally requires the seller to give the buyer a set of association documents and information. A buyer who gets the complete set less than 5 calendar days before entering into the contract has 5 calendar days after getting it to cancel, in writing and without giving a reason. Unpaid association dues up to the settlement date are normally paid at settlement, so the association is usually asked for a statement of what is owed.

Inherited homes

If the owner has died, the person selling must have the legal power to sign the deed, usually as personal representative of the estate, and the probate file has to support the sale. We prepare estate deeds through our deeds and family transfers service, and our guide to selling an inherited house in Anne Arundel County covers the steps.

Sellers who live out of state

When a seller does not live in Maryland, Maryland law does not let the deed be recorded until tax is paid out of that seller’s proceeds: 8.75% of the net proceeds paid to a nonresident individual, or 8.25% for a nonresident business. There are exceptions, for example a seller who certifies under penalties of perjury that the home is their principal residence. This is a payment toward the seller’s Maryland income tax, not an extra fee. Let us know early if any seller lives in another state.

Before settlement day

• Order title early. The buyer, the agent or the lender can send us the order once the contract is signed.
• Line up the survey, inspections and any association documents within the deadlines your contract sets.
• Look for the Closing Disclosure. For most home loans, your lender must give it to you at least three business days before closing.
• Protect your money. We email wire instructions, so read our wire fraud warning before sending funds. Before you send any wire, confirm the instructions by calling our office at (410) 768-2300, the number on this website, never a number from an email.

After everyone signs, we record the deed and mortgage in Annapolis and pay the transfer and recordation taxes. Use our buyer’s checklist or seller’s checklist to get ready.

How a Maryland settlement works covers each of these steps in more detail.

Working with Maryland First Title

Maryland First Title has provided title and escrow services in Maryland since 1994, with attorneys handling settlements. We can come to you in Edgewater, Riva or Mayo at no extra cost, or you can meet us at 306 Crain Hwy N in Glen Burnie. We take care of the title search, title insurance, escrow, settlement and recording for home sales and refinances, and we also help owners who are selling without an agent.