Title & escrow • Berkeley County, West Virginia
Title and escrow across Berkeley County.
From Martinsburg and the Interstate 81 corridor to Hedgesville, Inwood, and Bunker Hill, Prime Title and Escrow handles residential and commercial closings across Berkeley County with attorney-led care. Clear title, protected funds, and closings that land on time, on either side of the Virginia and West Virginia line.
Mortgage Rates
30-Yr Fixed6.53%15-Yr Fixed5.69%5/1 ARM6.10%FHA 30-Yr6.30%VA 30-Yr5.63%Jumbo 30-Yr6.45%30-Yr Refi6.64%30-Yr Fixed6.53%15-Yr Fixed5.69%5/1 ARM6.10%FHA 30-Yr6.30%VA 30-Yr5.63%Jumbo 30-Yr6.45%30-Yr Refi6.64%
National averages as of June 17, 2026Prime Title and Escrow is a title and escrow company, not a lender. Rates are for general information, not an offer. Contact a lender for a personalized quote.
Local to Berkeley County
The gateway to West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.
Berkeley County is the population center of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, with about 129,500 residents and some of the fastest growth in the state along the Interstate 81 corridor. Martinsburg, the county seat, anchors the county, and commuter rail from the Martinsburg MARC station carries residents east toward the Washington area. A sale here records with the Berkeley County Clerk in Martinsburg, under West Virginia law rather than Virginia’s.
Because the county sits right across the line from Winchester and the top of the Shenandoah Valley, many of our buyers are crossing from Virginia for more home and land per dollar. We close on both sides of the border. If you are buying, our guide to buying a home in the Eastern Panhandle and our overview of title insurance in West Virginia walk through what changes across the line.
What shapes a Berkeley County closing
- Deeds record with the Berkeley County Clerk in Martinsburg
- West Virginia transfer tax, customarily paid by the seller
- The Interstate 81 commuter corridor toward the Washington area
- New construction around Martinsburg, Inwood, and Bunker Hill
- Wells and septic on the rural and mountain edges
- Cross-border buyers arriving from Virginia
Berkeley County by the numbers
The Eastern Panhandle’s fast-growing anchor.
129.5K
residents, the second-largest county in West Virginia
U.S. Census Bureau
+12%
population growth since 2019, among the fastest in the state
U.S. Census Bureau
76%
owner-occupied homes
U.S. Census Bureau
$81K
median household income
U.S. Census Bureau
Behind every one of those homes is a title that has to transfer clean. That is our work.
Where we close in Berkeley County
Across the whole county.
Berkeley County runs from the historic streets of Martinsburg to the growing communities along Route 11 and the rural land on the mountain edges. We close throughout the county, for buyers, sellers, and lenders.
The county and its seat
Martinsburg is the county seat and the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle, anchored by a historic downtown and the Interstate 81 interchanges. Deeds record with the Berkeley County Clerk in Martinsburg, and we close throughout the county.
Martinsburg • Hedgesville • Inwood • Bunker Hill
Where deeds recordDeeds for Berkeley County property record with the Berkeley County Clerk, the Clerk of the County Commission, in Martinsburg, and we handle that filing for you as part of closing.
Towns and communities across the county
From the county seat to the south-county growth corridor and the rural north, here are the areas we serve.
Martinsburg and the core: downtown Martinsburg, the Interstate 81 interchanges, the King Street corridor.
South county: Inwood, Bunker Hill, and the Route 11 corridor toward the Virginia line.
North county: Hedgesville, Sleepy Creek, and the North Mountain area.
The rural edges: the farm and mountain land out toward Morgan and Hampshire counties.
The same standard, every closing
What we handle on a Berkeley County file.
Title search and exam
We trace ownership and pull what is recorded against the property in the Berkeley County land records. More on what a title company does.
Clearing the title
Liens, judgments, easements, and association questions resolved before closing, so title transfers clean and insurable.
Secure escrow
Your funds held and disbursed through protected escrow, with wire instructions verified by phone.
Recording and policy
We record the deed with the Berkeley County Clerk and issue your title insurance policy.
Closing costs in Berkeley County
What you can expect at the table.
West Virginia handles transfer taxes differently from Virginia. The state charges an excise tax on the transfer of real estate, and the county adds its own excise tax on top, so the combined rate depends on the county. As grantor, the seller customarily pays this transfer tax.
The exact amount depends on your sale price and the county’s rate. We calculate the precise numbers for your transaction and lay them out before closing. For the title side, see our overview of title insurance in West Virginia.
Recording charges on a Berkeley County sale
- State excise tax: $1.10 per $500 of value (W. Va. Code 11-22-2), customarily the seller
- County excise tax: an added county portion on top of the state tax, set by the county
- A $20 affordable housing fee collected by the county clerk at recording
- Recording fees set by the Berkeley County Clerk, plus the deed of trust on a financed purchase
Sources: West Virginia Code, Chapter 11, Article 22, and the Berkeley County Clerk. This is general information, not tax or legal advice, and the exact amount depends on your transaction.
Protect your funds
A Berkeley County closing moves real money, and that draws wire fraud.
A home purchase is one of the largest payments most people ever make, and that makes a closing a target. We use protected escrow and verified wire instructions, and we confirm details by phone before any funds move.
Before you send a dollar, call our office and confirm the instructions with a person you have spoken with. We will never send new wire instructions by email out of the blue. Learn how wire fraud and escrow safety in West Virginia work so you know what to watch for.
Before you wire a dollar
- Call our office at a number you looked up yourself
- Confirm the wire instructions with a person by phone
- Treat any emailed change of instructions as fraud until verified
- Ask your bank to confirm the receiving name, not just the number
- Keep a record of who you spoke with and when
Why Berkeley County clients choose Prime
Attorney-led, independent, and closing in both states.
Attorney-led
Two real estate attorneys oversee your file, so when a title question comes up, you have legal judgment on it, not a checklist.
Independent and neutral
We run no affiliated arrangements and pay no referral kickbacks. Our loyalty is to your closing and a clean transfer of title.
Minutes from the line
Our Winchester office is a short drive from Martinsburg, so we know the Eastern Panhandle, the Berkeley County land records, and the questions that come with buying across the state line.
Residential and commercial
Homes around Martinsburg, new construction in the south county, rural and mountain property, and commercial deals along the Interstate 81 corridor, handled by the same team.
How a closing runs
A clear path from contract to recording.
1
Open and order
We open the file and order the title search and any survey for the property.
2
Title commitment
We review what is recorded and surface liens, easements, and association concerns.
3
Clear and confirm
We resolve defects and confirm the figures with your lender and the parties.
4
Coordinate closing
We align buyer, seller, lender, and agents, and schedule the signing.
5
Fund and record
We protect and disburse the funds, record the deed with the Berkeley County Clerk, and issue the policy.
Berkeley County questions
What people ask us.
Do you handle closings throughout Berkeley County?
Yes. We close across the entire county, from Martinsburg and the Interstate 81 corridor to Hedgesville, Inwood, and Bunker Hill, for buyers, sellers, and lenders, residential and commercial.
Where do Berkeley County deeds get recorded?
Deeds record with the Berkeley County Clerk, the Clerk of the County Commission, in Martinsburg, not a circuit court. That recording is what makes the transfer part of the public record, and we handle the filing for you as part of closing.
What is the transfer tax on a Berkeley County sale?
West Virginia charges a state excise tax of $1.10 per $500 of value (W. Va. Code 11-22-2), and the county adds its own excise tax on top, so the combined rate depends on the county. As grantor, the seller customarily pays it. We calculate the exact figures for your sale.
Do you have to be in West Virginia to close here?
No. We close in both Virginia and West Virginia, and our Winchester office sits minutes from the Berkeley County line, so you get a team that knows the Eastern Panhandle records and the courthouse.
Do you handle wells, septic, and rural property?
Yes. Rural and mountain properties in the county can carry wells, septic systems, easements, and access questions, and we review what is recorded against the property as part of the title work so there are no surprises at closing.
Can you help buyers crossing from Virginia?
Yes. Berkeley County sits right across the line from Winchester and Northern Virginia, and we close on both sides of the border. Our guide to buying a home in the Eastern Panhandle covers what changes across the line.
Closing in Berkeley County?
Send us the property and the timeline, and we will send back a clear quote with no guesswork. Independent, attorney-led title and escrow for Berkeley County and across West Virginia and Virginia.
(703) 552-4155Serving Berkeley County and the Eastern Panhandle