Closing Costs Explained How Much Are Closing Costs?

Table of Content

• Condo and HOA fees
• Underwriting, Application, and Other Lending-Related Fees
• Title-Related Fees
• Survey fee
• Costs of buying a home #10: Survey
• Next steps: Getting your finances ready to buy a home
• How much does it cost to buy a house?

Average escrow fees range between 1% and 2% of a home’s sale price. Lenders require a home appraisal as part of the underwriting process before approving a mortgage loan. Average appraisals costs range from $300 to $450, and vary in price depending on the location and size of the property. The lender hires an appraiser to provide the fair market value of the home, and the buyer typically pays the lender at closing. About 31% of today’s homebuyers are new to purchasing a home—which means many people are now discovering some of these added costs when they get their loan estimate.

Other governing factors like state limitations and rules can cap how much earnest money a seller can ask for. “There are a number of standard closing table items for which the actual cost will vary based on the value of the home and also the partners you work with,” Ross Hester says. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.

Condo and HOA fees

Your closing costs will be itemized on your loan estimate and closing disclosure, so you’ll be able to review each item. If there’s any discrepancy between your estimate and the disclosure that you don’t understand, be sure to talk to your lender. The unforeseen costs of buying a home can be a sucker punch when you’re moments away from closing, especially after you’ve spent years saving for the down payment. And sometimes, these costs at closing can end up being higher than what you were initially quoted on your loan estimate.

You will be paying for them no matter what, and it’s a standardized part of the home buying experience. Expect your mortgage lender to require lenders title insurance, which protects the lender in case there’s a legal challenge to the home’s title. This covers the interest that accrues between closing on your loan and your first monthly mortgage payment. A security system is more difficult to remove from a home, but you’ll want to make sure that any accounts have been transferred to your name, and that you are making the monthly fee payments. The underwriting and processing fees cover the costs of originating, processing, underwriting, and closing a mortgage loan.

Underwriting, Application, and Other Lending-Related Fees

And if your new home is larger than your previous rental, you’ll pay considerably more for electricity and gas. This is a must to make sure you’re not buying a home with major structural issues. A home inspection will take a few hours and cost up to $500, but it can save you a lot of grief in the future. Your mortgage lender must explain all the fees to you, so if anything confuses you, ask for more information. Lenders may have recommendations for where to purchase title services, but you can shop around for quotes, potentially generating savings.

So before you start visiting open houses, take some time to educate yourself so you can make a practical decision. Maintaining your home—e.g., cleaning windows and gutters, keeping up the landscaping, and making small updates—typically costs about 1% of your home’s value each year. And that’s not including large unexpected repairs, which can get pricey. If you’re buying an older home with appliances that are no longer covered by manufacturer warranties, getting a home warranty could be a good call. They generally cost a few hundred dollars per year and protect things such as kitchen appliances, ceiling and exhaust fans, plumbing, the furnace, and the sump pump. Inevitably, you’ll face a major repair on your new home, so consider whether a home warranty will save you from that expense.

Title-Related Fees

Buyer closing costs are a combination of one-time fees and the initial installments of recurring costs you’ll pay alongside your mortgage every month. An example of a recurring cost is your homeowners insurance premium. In future years, it will be paid either out of pocket or via an escrow account you add funds to every month. Prepaid costs when buying a home, or prepaids, are expenses that you would pay for anyway—you’re just paying for them early. Closing costs are fees for services rendered during the closing of your home.

This type of attorney is known as a closing attorney and does not represent the buyer or seller in the transaction. Settlement costs for using a closing attorney or escrow company to handle the closing of a transaction can range from $500 to $1,500 depending on your location. USDA loan closing costs range from 3% to 6% of the total loan amount.

Survey fee

As an example, buying in Miami increased by 15.7%, while buying in Detroit only increased by about 4.7%. A new home may include a free builder’s warranty, which covers workmanship and materials for specific, permanent features of the house for a limited time. For example, the builder may warrant that the new home doesn’t have electrical or plumbing system defects for two years or structural defects for five years. The down payment can be expressed as a percentage of the total home price, ranging from 0% to 20% or more.

Again, if you buy a home located in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, you will have to pay monthly or yearly dues to cover maintenance of common areas and other amenities. Realtor.com estimates that HOA dues cost the average homeowner $200 to $300 per month. If your neighborhood has a homeowners association, the association may charge a fee to help cover services and capital improvements. Many HOAs require the buyer to pay a fee or a portion of their annual dues at closing. PMI protects the lender against losses if you default on your mortgage.

In most places, your city or county government requires you to pay property taxes on your home for as long as you own it. Typically, property tax is included in your monthly mortgage payment, but separate from the interest and principal. Both save you from having to bring cash to the closing upfront, but can cost you more in the long run, especially if you intend to stay in the home long-term.

Learn how much it really costs to buy a new home in the U.S. and factors that could impact the total cost of your potential abode. Lora Shinn has been writing about personal finance for more than 12 years. Her articles have also been published by CNN Money, U.S. News & World Report, and Bankrate, among others. According to Freddie Mac, borrowers should anticipate paying anywhere from $30 to $70 per month for every $100,000 borrowed. Another option is to go with a less expensive house, which will automatically lower your down payment. For our sample house, you’d need an annual income of roughly $77,000 to hit that 28%.

How Much Does It Cost to Buy a House?

Table of Content

• Homebuyers Are Hoping for a 2023 Market Crash: What Will Really Happen?
• Homeowners insurance premium
• Lender’s policy title insurance

Basically, these pay your lender for all of the administrative work involved in the lending process. You’ll pay a title search fee to the title or escrow company, in exchange for doing a thorough search of a property’s public records. This ensures that no one else has a claim to the property you’re buying. Some states and lenders require a land survey to be completed for every home purchase. A surveyor will verify all property lines and evaluate things like shared fences. The buyer typically pays this fee, though you may be able to negotiate the cost with the seller.

If you currently have zero debt, you can more comfortably get away with squeezing the top end of the recommended housing debt percentage. However, if you are juggling a car loan, a student loan, and paying off credit cards, steer far, far away from the 28% housing ratio. Now you know that your mortgage payment will be much more than just principal and interest. You can get an idea by using a mortgage payment calculator, like the one available from The New York Times. A fee paid to the title company to search the public records of the property you are purchasing. When you close on your loan in the middle of the month, your lender collects interest on your loan from the closing date until the end of the month.

Homebuyers Are Hoping for a 2023 Market Crash: What Will Really Happen?

The seller might pick up some of these costs, but you’ll have to shoulder some of the burden. We’re talking about fees that, all together, can add up to a few thousand dollars. And you can expect closing costs to run from 2% to 5% of your home’s value.

Mortgage brokers help prospective borrowers secure a loan by serving as a go-between for the buyer and a potential lending institution. Brokers don’t offer loans themselves; they usually work with several different lenders and loan types so that they can help connect you with a mortgage loan that meets your specific needs. Lenders often charge an underwriting fee, which covers the cost of researching whether or not they should approve you for a loan.

Homeowners insurance premium

At least three days before your closing, you’ll receive a Closing Disclosure Statement from your lender. Be sure to take the time to compare this final statement with your Loan Estimate, and ask your lender to explain any line items that have changed. There are limits to the amount that fees can increase between the time you receive your Loan Estimate and your Closing Disclosure Statement, so there should not be any surprises. If you are getting a flood zone certification or land survey, you’ll also pay for these at the time of service, though sometimes the cost is shared with the seller. A good inspector can assess electrical systems and plumbing, structural soundness and the condition of the roof — and some inspectors can offer price estimates for various repairs.

Taking them into account before you begin shopping can help prevent unpleasant surprises that drain your finances. Your down payment isn’t the only sum you’ll have to pay on closing day. These cover all the fees required to set up your mortgage loan, including the lender’s fees, appraisal, inspection, and other third-party service fees. If your down payment is less than 20% of your home’s purchase price, your lender will likely require you to purchase mortgage insurance.

Lender’s policy title insurance

Buyers will likely have to bring their own toasters, but built-in microwaves are likely to stay. If you want to keep a particular appliance, make sure you negotiate for it upfront and have it written in the purchase contract that it will stay. You can also save money by following seasonal sales cycles and purchasing when furniture outlets hold sales, such as on Memorial and Labor Day holidays. Purchasing some items second hand can also save you big bucks, using sites like Facebook Marketplace and Offerup to find local items. Whether you hire a team of professional movers or decide to do it yourself, moving can be quite expensive. Short-distance moves cost $1,638 on average, and long-distance treks can be even more costly.

At closing, you may be required to pay six months of property taxes, or any property taxes due from the date of closing until the end of the tax year. Buying a home can be a lucrative choice long term, since homes often retain their value over time, and even appreciate in value in many locations. However, upfront costs, ongoing payments, and maintenance expenses should be part of your budget so that you don't choose a house that is too expensive to afford. Doing this yields fewer bills for you to handle and can be worth it if you want to simplify your bill-paying experience. It’s the price you pay the loan officer or broker for completing the loan, and it includes underwriting, originating, and processing the costs of buying a home. If you get a conventional loan, PMI is generally required if you put less than 20 percent down.

Upfront costs of buying a home: What you need to save for

This acts as a form of guarantee that the borrower will be able to make mortgage payments. Typically a borrower is required to have two months’ worth of mortgage payments as reserves. For this reason, you should get a firm estimate from a mortgage lender before you shop for a home. Your mortgage lender will tell you exactly how much you need for your down payment and closing costs. And that will allow you to set a savings goal and shop for a home within your price range.

The amount you’ll pay in HOA fees depends entirely on where you live. HOA fees can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars a year to thousands of dollars a month, depending on your amenities. The average owner of a single-family home pays $200 – $300 a month in HOA fees.

For example, if you buy in July, you’ll be on the hook for around five months of taxes, while the seller will pay the remainder. Usually, there are mortgage contingencies written into a purchase contract that protect both the buyers and sellers, including who gets the earnest money if the contract is broken. The home inspection contingency is common in purchase contracts. Basically, it gives buyers a legal escape clause—they can walk away with their earnest money—if the inspection comes back with problems. Interest is essentially the fee that lenders charge in exchange for the loans they give to homeowners.

These may also include the costs incurred throughout the experience of originating the loan and buying your home. In addition to the agreed price of the home, you'll pay fees to compensate the mortgage lender, appraiser, title services providers, and others. For instance, you can choose how much money you want to put down, with options ranging between 3% and 20% on a conforming loan. And you can shop around with different lenders to find the cheapest closing costs. When you make a good faith deposit, your check will be held by a third party, title company, or the buyer’s agent and may not actually be cashed.

Costs of buying a home #1: Earnest money

If the market is cold, a seller could be happy with less than 1%. Your mortgage payment will almost certainly be your biggest recurring house expense. Start with this monthly number when you’re budgeting for costs and then build around it. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories.

As mentioned previously, your lender will likely require private mortgage insurance if you make a down payment of less than 20%. Mortgage points — sometimes called discount points — are fees paid to the lender in exchange for a reduced interest rate. Paying points upfront can lower your monthly mortgage payment. Some lenders allow certain closing costs to be rolled into the mortgage loan, but it depends on the kind of loan you are getting.