Alexandria Title & Settlement Services

Alexandria, Virginia is not Fairfax County. This is the most important thing to understand before you close on a property here — and it's a distinction that catches buyers, sellers, and even agents off guard.

The City of Alexandria is an independent city under Virginia law. It has its own city government, its own Circuit Court, and its own land records office. Documents recorded on an Alexandria property go to the Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk's Office — not to the Fairfax County Circuit Court. For title work, that means a completely separate records search in a separate jurisdiction.

Pruitt Title handles Alexandria closings across the city — Old Town, Del Ray, Eisenhower Avenue corridor, Potomac Yard, Seminary Ridge, and everywhere in between.

What Makes Alexandria Closings Different

Independent City Jurisdiction

Most of Northern Virginia falls within county boundaries — Fairfax County, Arlington County, Loudoun County. Alexandria does not. As an independent city, it operates parallel to the counties rather than within them.

For a title company, this means:

• Title examination pulls from the Alexandria Circuit Court land records, not Fairfax County's system
• Recording fees are paid to the City of Alexandria, not a county
• Lien searches and judgment searches run against the city's records independently

This matters for sellers with complex title histories and for buyers in older neighborhoods where deed chains span decades or more.

Historic Properties and Deep Deed Research

Old Town Alexandria contains some of the oldest residential real estate in the DC region. Properties with 18th and 19th century origins require more thorough title examination. Chain of title research on an 1890s rowhouse on Cameron Street or a converted Federal-era building on King Street is not the same as examining a 1990s subdivision lot in Fairfax County.

A competent title company knows to look deeper, verify historical conveyances, and identify any gaps or irregularities that require resolution before insuring.

Condo Market Complexity

Alexandria has one of the most active condominium markets in Northern Virginia — from high-rise towers along the Eisenhower/Potomac Yard corridor to garden-style communities in Del Ray and Seminary Hill. Condominiums bring their own title work:

• HOA/condo association estoppel certificates confirming current balance and any special assessments
• Condo declaration and plat review to confirm unit boundaries and common element descriptions
• Resale package coordination, which in Virginia is governed by the Property Owners Association Act and Condominium Act

Delays in estoppel receipt are one of the most common causes of closing delays in condo transactions. Pruitt Title orders these early and tracks them proactively.

DC Commuter Pricing

Alexandria's proximity to DC Metro lines — particularly the Blue/Yellow lines through Old Town, and the Silver/Blue through Potomac Yard — drives buyer demand from DC government employees, federal contractors, and military personnel at nearby installations. VA loan transactions are common. Pruitt Title coordinates with VA lenders to ensure MPR (Minimum Property Requirements) compliance where applicable.

Closing on an Alexandria property means:

• Title search in the City of Alexandria records (independent of Fairfax County)
• Owner's title insurance protecting your equity in the property — especially important in historic Old Town where deed chains are long
• Lender's title insurance required by your mortgage lender
• HOA/condo estoppel if buying in an association — order early
• Virginia grantor's tax — paid by the seller in Virginia
• Recordation taxes — Virginia state recordation tax on the deed of trust, recorded in the City of Alexandria Circuit Court

Not sure what you'll pay? Run your Alexandria closing cost estimate here.

For a full breakdown of Virginia buyer and seller closing costs, see our Virginia closing costs guide.

• Virginia grantor's tax — $0.50 per $100 of consideration (higher for non-owner-occupied properties)
• Payoff coordination — Pruitt Title orders your existing mortgage payoff from your lender and ensures it's satisfied at closing
• HOA/condo estoppel — if your property is in a community association, we order the estoppel certificate confirming current balance, special assessments, and any violations
• Deed preparation — your settlement attorney prepares the new deed for the City of Alexandria recording

One thing sellers often miss: if your property has been in the family for many years, or was acquired through an estate, Pruitt Title will identify any title issues early — not on the morning of closing.

Get a seller's closing cost estimate

For Agents and Lenders in Alexandria

• HOA/condo estoppel tracking — we order and track estoppel certificates as part of every condo or HOA transaction, with status updates to agents
• VA loan coordination — Pruitt Title works with VA lenders routinely; we understand the additional certification and MPR requirements
• Remote closing options — for relocating buyers, military buyers, or out-of-town sellers, we accommodate fully remote settlements with e-notarization where available
• Same-day quote via TitleCapture for any Alexandria address

→ Order an Alexandria Title Quote Now

Also serving neighboring markets — see Arlington and Northern Virginia title companies overview.

How Pruitt Title Serves Alexandria

Pruitt Title is based in Vienna, Virginia — approximately 20 minutes from Old Town Alexandria via the GW Parkway or George Mason Drive. We conduct closings at our Vienna office, at locations convenient to the parties, or fully remotely via RON (Remote Online Notarization) where eligible under Virginia law.

Is the City of Alexandria part of Fairfax County?

No. Alexandria is an independent city under Virginia law — separate from Fairfax County, Arlington County, and every other county in the state. It has its own courts, its own land records, and its own government. A title search on an Alexandria property must be conducted in the Alexandria Circuit Court land records, not Fairfax County's. This distinction is critical for title work.

Where are Alexandria real estate records filed?

You're not legally required to use a title company for a cash purchase in Virginia, but it is strongly advisable. Title insurance protects you from defects in the chain of title — forged deeds, undisclosed heirs, unreleased liens, survey errors — that may not appear in a simple title search but could threaten your ownership years after closing. Old Town properties with long deed histories are exactly where this protection matters most.

What is the Virginia grantor's tax and who pays it?

The Virginia grantor's tax is a state tax on the transfer of real property, paid by the seller. The base rate is $0.50 per $100 of consideration. For properties that are not the seller's principal residence, an additional $0.50 per $100 applies (total $1.00 per $100). On a $700,000 Alexandria home sale, the grantor's tax would typically be $3,500 for an owner-occupied property.

How long does a Virginia real estate closing take?

Most Virginia closings take 45–60 minutes at the table. The full closing process from contract to settlement typically runs 30–45 days depending on financing. Condo transactions with HOA estoppel requirements should budget for the association's response window — Virginia law allows up to 14 days for a condo association to deliver its resale package.

→ Get Your Alexandria Title Quote