The Facts on Closing Costs

Closing costs may vary when you purchase a new home or refinance your existing property. Your mortgage lender will provide an estimate of the closing costs associated with your real estate transaction, but having a clear understanding before you buy will offer the peace of mind of no unexpected surprises.

There are two categories of closing costs: Non-recurring costs are incurred one-time only. Recurring costs are just that: recurring. For example, property tax and homeowner insurance are in this category. There are also hidden costs that lenders don’t have to communicate to buyers. Be aware that they do exist.

Most refinances will include the closing costs in the new loan amount. This is helpful as it requires little or no expense to close the deal.

Lender Associated Non-Recurring Closing Costs

Loan origination fee – Known as a points system, where one point is equal to one percent of the mortgage loan, paying more points will usually result in a lower interest rate.
Loan discount – The loan origination fee is generally one point or one percent of the loan. Any additional points to the loan origination fee are called “discount points”. These points are generally part of the loan origination.
Appraisal fee – Lenders require a property appraisal because that appraisal is for collateral for the mortgage. The appraisal determines if you are paying a comparable and reasonable price for the property. Appraisal fees vary based on property value and how difficulty in assessment.
Credit report – Lenders will review your credit history, too. The credit report is a minimal fee ranging from $7 to $60, depending on the type of report requested.
Lender’s inspection fee – Generally associated with the construction of new homes. Used because the property might not be done before the appraisal. Verifies that construction and inspection have been finished.
Mortgage broker fee – Loans originated through a mortgage broker may list points under this fee, or as a processing fee, instead of as a loan origination fee. Indicate to the buyer charges from the wholesale lender and attributed to the mortgage broker. Mortgage brokers can attain lower rates from wholesale lenders than can buyers directly, thus your overall payments will still be lower by using a mortgage broker’s services.
Tax service fee – As a property owner you will be making property tax payments over the life of your mortgage loan. Since property tax liens can take precedence over a first mortgage, the lender may pay an independent service to monitor property tax payments which can run from $70 to $80.
Flood certification fee and flood monitoring – Your lender may hire an independent service company to determine if your property is located in a designated flood zone. As these zones are periodically re-mapped, some lenders charge a fee to monitor impacts from re-mapping.

Other Lender Non-Recurring Closing Costs

Costs can vary by lender. Some aren’t associated with the loan since they are income generators for the lenders. And some of the fees offset costs of loan inflation.

Document preparation – These are now an in-house offering. This fee gets charged on almost all loans and is approximately $200, but varies by lender.
Underwriting fee – This fee can range from approximately $300 to $350. The underwriter is usually a paid employee of the lender.
Administration fee – This fee may replace the underwriting fee, but in some cases may also stand alone.
Appraisal review fee – Lenders will occasionally review appraisals as a measure of quality control, usually for high valued properties. This fee can range from $75 to $150.
Warehousing fee – Rarely charged, but some lenders use a warehouse line of credit and will charge the fee to the borrower.

Costs Requiring Payment before Closing

Pre-paid interest – Mortgage payments are usually due on the first of each month. Loans can close on any day. So, a certain amount of interest must be paid at closing to get the interest paid up to the first of the month.
Homeowner insurance – Covers any possible damages to the property and other items. You pay the first year’s insurance at transaction closing. If buying a condo, your Homeowners’ Association Fees normally cover this insurance.
Mortgage insurance – Some first-time homebuyers might have to pay the first year an advance mortgage insurance premium be paid, though rare. Most mortgage insurance are part of your mortgage payment. Mortgage insurance covers the lender and covers a portion of the losses in those cases where borrowers default.
Reserves deposited with the lender – A potential deposit into an escrow account might be possible with a minimum down payment. The lender uses these funds to make the payments on your homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, and mortgage insurance (as applicable). Each month, in addition to your mortgage payment, you will deposit additional funds into your impound account, ensuring the lender always has sufficient funds to pay these bills as they come due. Some lenders will reduce loan origination fees if you open an impound account, but they aren’t mandatory.
Homeowner insurance impounds – Divide your annual premium by 12 for an estimated monthly amount. To start the account, deposit two months of payments as per the lender’s allowance for two month’s reserves.
Property tax impounds – The amount deposited towards taxes to start an impound account varies according to when you close your real estate transaction.
Mortgage insurance impounds – Most lenders allow for monthly payments, but an initial deposit of two months of mortgage insurance into this impound account might be required.

Non-Recurring Costs Not Associated with the Lender

Closing/Escrow/Settlement fee – Methods of closing a real estate transaction vary, as do the fees. A general rule for calculating the closing cost is $200 plus $2 for every thousand dollars in price. Refinances usually involve a flat fee of $400 to $500.
Title insurance – This insurance assures the homeowner that they have clear title to the property. Lenders require title insurance, to ensure the new mortgage loan is in first position. Costs vary depending on whether you are purchasing or refinancing a home.
Notary fees – Most loan documents include two to three forms that must be notarized. This fee is approximately $40.
Recording fees – Certain documents need to be recorded with a local recorder. Fees vary according to your location.
Pest inspection – This inspection looks for pest, wood rot, water, and other damages and costs approximately $75. Repairs may be necessary. This can change the costs, too. The seller may pay for the repairs, but this is negotiable.
Home inspection – The homebuyer covers this cost, generally. However, some home sellers will offer to pay for the inspection to protect themselves from future legal actions.
Home warranty – This item may be optional. A home warranty usually covers major appliances in case of breakage within a specific time. The seller will cover this fee.

Refinancing Associated Costs (Not Charged by the New Lender)

Interest – When closing the transaction on a mortgage refinance, there will most likely be some outstanding interest due on the original loan. For example, if closing on August 20th (and you made your last payment on the 1st of the month), you will have 20 days of interest due on the original loan and 10 days prepaid interest on the new loan.
Reconveyance fee – Charged by your existing lender when they reconvey their collateral interest in your property back to you through recording of a reconveyance. This fee can vary from $75 to $125.
Demand fee – Your existing lender may charge a fee for calculating payoff figures.
Sub-escrow fee – Charged by the title company as an income-generating fee, similar to some lender fees.
Loan tie-in fee – The escrow company charges this fee.
Homeowners’ association transfer fee – If buying a condo or home with a homeowner association, the association often charges a fee to transfer all of their ownership documents to the buyer.

Having the Seller Pay Closing Costs

It has become customary to have the seller pay for the closing costs when you purchase a new home. This is put into writing in the offer letter and must be accepted by the seller. The seller generally accepts because the buyer is probably paying slightly more for the property than he or she would if paying their own closing costs. Consider the following points:

If asking the seller to pay the closing costs, what they can pay will vary depending on the type of mortgage loan obtained by the borrower. For example, on conventional loans, you can only ask the seller to pay non-recurring costs and not those costs that must be paid in advance.
Your down payment amount will also affect how much of the closing costs a seller can pay. If you put down ten per cent or greater, the seller can only contribute six percent of the purchase price. If you put less than ten per cent down, the seller can only contribute three per cent.