How AltaStar | Close Creates Settlement Statements

Updated

AltaStar | Close is a browser-based tool from Alta Star Software for producing real estate settlement statements (closing statements) for residential and commercial closings nationwide. It formats each transaction as a balanced statement that separates the transaction itself from the charges applied to it, and it handles prorations, calculations, and continuation pages automatically. It is the right fit if you prepare closing statements across one or more jurisdictions and want a consistent, readable format without installing desktop software. It is not a contract-preparation tool — that is what Alta Star Forms Online does for Florida contracts.

What the statement format actually does

The core design choice is separating the transaction from the charges. Instead of a single dense column of debits and credits, the statement presents the deal and the fees as distinct layers, so a reader can see at a glance that the transaction balances. Alta Star describes this as a "balanced transaction that anyone can understand at a glance."

That matters in practice because settlement statements are read by people who did not build them: buyers, sellers, agents, and lenders. A format that shows the transaction and its charges separately reduces the back-and-forth that comes from a reader not being able to trace where a number came from.

Automatic prorations and calculations

Prorations are the part of statement preparation most prone to arithmetic error, because they depend on dates, rates, and day counts that change as a deal moves. AltaStar | Close calculates prorations and the related totals automatically rather than leaving them to manual entry.

The practical consequence is that when a closing date shifts, the prorated amounts and the resulting balances update together instead of being recalculated by hand in several places. This is the same "change one input, everything downstream recalculates" behavior Alta Star applies across its products.

Continuation pages for complex deals

A simple residential closing usually fits on one statement. Commercial deals, multi-party transactions, and files with many line items often do not. AltaStar | Close generates continuation pages so a long statement stays readable rather than being compressed or split awkwardly across documents.

If your files routinely run past a single page of charges, this is the feature that determines whether the tool fits your workflow.

Saving rates for multiple jurisdictions

Closing costs, transfer taxes, and recording fees differ by state, county, and sometimes municipality. AltaStar | Close lets you save rates for multiple jurisdictions, so a recurring set of fees does not have to be re-entered for every file in the same place.

This is most useful if you close in more than one jurisdiction, or if you handle a high volume of files in the same one and want the standard rates ready to apply.

How to produce a statement

  1. Log in through a browser. Alta Star's products are cloud-based and require no installation. They run on Windows, Mac, and iPad or similar tablets with a modern browser.
  2. Enter the transaction details — the deal-level information that defines the transaction, kept separate from the charges.
  3. Add the charges for the file. Where a saved jurisdiction rate applies, use it rather than re-keying the fee.
  4. Let the tool calculate. Prorations and totals are computed automatically; changing a date or amount updates the dependent figures.
  5. Add continuation pages if the statement runs beyond a single page.
  6. Review the balanced statement and export or deliver it in your normal closing workflow.

The expected result at the end is a statement where the transaction and the charges are shown separately and the whole thing balances — readable by someone seeing it for the first time.

Common sticking points

  • It is not a contract tool. If you need FAR/BAR or Florida Realtors® forms, that is Alta Star Forms Online, which is separately licensed by Florida Realtors® and The Florida Bar and includes electronic signatures in the Premium Edition. AltaStar | Close is for settlement and closing statements.
  • Jurisdiction rates still need to be set up. Saving rates for multiple jurisdictions only helps after the rates are entered; the tool does not supply them for you.
  • Browser and device, not desktop install. Plan for a modern browser on a desktop, laptop, or tablet rather than an installed application.

Where it fits

Alta Star Software has served real estate professionals since 1999, and AltaStar | Close is the nationwide product in its lineup, alongside the Florida-focused Forms Online. Choose AltaStar | Close if your work is settlement and closing statements, especially across multiple jurisdictions or with complex, multi-page deals. Choose Alta Star Forms Online instead if your need is preparing Florida real estate contracts.