Title & escrow • Martinsburg, West Virginia
Title and escrow in Martinsburg.
From the historic downtown to the neighborhoods along Interstate 81, Prime Title and Escrow handles residential and commercial closings across Martinsburg with attorney-led care. Clear title, protected funds, and closings that land on time, a short drive across the line from Winchester.
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 Martinsburg
The hub of the Eastern Panhandle.
Martinsburg is the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the seat of Berkeley County, with about 18,900 residents. It draws commuters who ride the MARC train and Interstate 81 toward the Washington area, along with buyers crossing from Virginia for a lower cost of living. A sale here records with the Berkeley County Clerk in Martinsburg, under West Virginia law rather than Virginia’s.
The market runs from a historic downtown with older chains of title to newer subdivisions near the interchanges, and renters make up about half the city. 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 Martinsburg closing
- Deeds record with the Berkeley County Clerk in Martinsburg
- West Virginia transfer tax, customarily paid by the seller
- A historic downtown with older recorded covenants
- Newer subdivisions near the Interstate 81 interchanges
- Commuters on the MARC line to the Washington area
- Cross-border buyers arriving from Winchester
Martinsburg by the numbers
The Panhandle’s biggest market.
18.9K
residents, the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle
U.S. Census Bureau
$240K
median value of owner-occupied homes
U.S. Census Bureau
48%
owner-occupied, a renter-rich market
U.S. Census Bureau
$60K
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 Martinsburg
Martinsburg and the area around it.
We close across Martinsburg, from the historic downtown to the subdivisions near the interstate, and throughout Berkeley County, for buyers, sellers, and lenders.
The city and where deeds record
Martinsburg is the seat of Berkeley County, so the county land records sit right in town. Deeds record with the Berkeley County Clerk in Martinsburg, and we handle that filing as part of closing.
Downtown • Spring Mills • Inwood • Bunker Hill
Where deeds recordDeeds for Martinsburg 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.
Neighborhoods and nearby
From the historic core to the growing edges of the city and county, here are the areas we serve.
Downtown and the historic core: the older neighborhoods around King and Queen Streets and the courthouse.
The interchanges: the newer subdivisions near the Interstate 81 and Route 9 interchanges.
North Berkeley: Spring Mills, Falling Waters, and the growing areas toward the Maryland line.
South Berkeley: Inwood, Bunker Hill, and the communities toward the Virginia line.
The same standard, every closing
What we handle on a Martinsburg 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 Martinsburg
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 Martinsburg 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 Martinsburg 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 Martinsburg clients choose Prime
Attorney-led, independent, minutes from the line.
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.
A short drive from the line
Our Winchester office sits 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
Historic downtown homes, new subdivisions, rentals, and commercial property 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.
Martinsburg questions
What people ask us.
Do you handle closings throughout Martinsburg?
Yes. We close across the entire city, from the historic downtown to the neighborhoods along the Interstate 81 interchanges, for buyers, sellers, and lenders, residential and commercial.
Where do Martinsburg deeds get recorded?
Deeds for Martinsburg 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.
What is the transfer tax on a Martinsburg 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 a short drive from Martinsburg, so you get a team that knows the Berkeley County records and the courthouse.
Do you work with commuters and historic downtown homes?
Yes. Many Martinsburg buyers commute east on the MARC train or Interstate 81, and the historic downtown carries older chains of title and recorded covenants that we review as part of the title work.
Can you help buyers crossing from Virginia?
Yes. Martinsburg sits a short drive 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 Martinsburg?
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 Martinsburg and across the Eastern Panhandle.
(703) 552-4155Serving Martinsburg and Berkeley County