Ono Island Buyer’s Guide · Transfer Fees

The Ono Island admission fee buyers should plan for at closing

What the $8,000 POA Admission Fee is, when it is due, what it replaced, and how I help buyers build it into the purchase picture early.

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From Meredith

When a buyer asks me about closing costs on Ono Island, this is one of the first numbers I name

I want you to fall for the right home — and I also want your closing picture to stay clean. On Ono Island, that means talking early about the Property Owners Association Admission Fee, the one-time charge many buyers still call the transfer fee.

This piece is part of my Ono Island Buyer’s Guide. It is written from the official POA notice and from the conversations I have with buyers before an offer gets serious.

At a glance

The fee

What the Ono Island Admission Fee is

The Ono Island Property Owners Association Board of Directors approved an Admission Fee of $8,000.00 at the August 2023 board meeting. It is a one-time charge on any arm’s-length sale or transfer of a property on or after January 1, 2024.

A new owner pays the one-time fee. In everyday buyer conversations, people still say “transfer fee.” The official POA language is Admission Fee. Same closing-line reality either way: plan for $8,000 unless a documented exclusion or Board appeal applies.

Worth knowing

The Board evaluates the Admission Fee on an annual basis, similar to other POA fees, and may adjust it. Always confirm the current amount in the documents tied to your specific closing.

Timing

When the fee is due

The fee is due at the time of closing, or upon delivery of a deed, in an arm’s-length transaction. Any property sold or closed on or after January 1, 2024 is subject to this fee under the POA notice.

I build this into your estimated closing costs early so the number does not arrive as a surprise on the settlement statement. Homes and vacant lots are both part of that conversation when the transfer is arm’s length.

The POA has described the Admission Fee as variable income for the association: in slower sales years the POA receives less from this fee than in stronger years. For buyers, the practical takeaway is simpler — treat it as a known closing cost unless your transfer fits an exclusion.

“A name is helpful. Context makes it useful. I want you to know what the Admission Fee is before you are emotionally committed to a house.”

Exceptions

Exclusions and the appeal path

Not every deed change is treated like a market sale. The Board has excluded property transfers with no monetary or financial exchange, with documentation, such as:

There is also an appeal path. Any inter-family, non-typical, or non-financial transfer may request a Board of Directors appeal of the Admission Fee. The Board reviews the request and has final discretion on whether the fee applies. Appeal requests must be submitted to the Ono House in a timely manner before closing so there is time for processing and a decision.

Buying a home or lot on Ono Island?

Call or text me and I will walk your closing-cost picture with you, including the Admission Fee and the ownership costs that come after.

Keep reading

Related buyer guides

Next step

Let’s put the fee in context for your search

Whether you are buying a finished home, a canal property, big water, or land to build, I will help you see the Admission Fee next to the rest of the ownership picture — dues, insurance, flood considerations, and ACC rules.

Call or text me when you are ready to talk through a property or a budget.