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If
you could pay cash for a home, your total closing cost
would be about $60.00...the fee for recording the
deed. Because you’ll be getting a mortgage, your closing
costs will cover every expense associated with getting a
loan. You'll be expected to pay these fees at the
closing...the day you take possession of your new home.
Keep in mind that you
plan to borrow a great deal of money from an investor
that knows nothing about you or the property you intend
to purchase. It will be the job of the mortgage broker
to provide the lender with details about your personal
finances and prove that the home is worth the amount of
the loan. To this end, most of the lenders fees will
apply to the business of doing the necessary research
and related paperwork that will make it possible for you
to acquire your loan.
Typical closing costs
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Loan application fees and credit report
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Title search and insurance fees (Title insurance)
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Property appraisal
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Survey
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Down Payment
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Mortgage insurance (PMI)
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Hazard insurance
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Recording fees
Documentary stamps on new note
Escrow account balances.
(Prepaid taxes, interest and insurance.)
Points and origination fees
(This fee can vary greatly with each lender)
Closing fees can be divided into four categories:
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Lender fees: covers the cost of
obtaining a mortgage
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Title fees: what it costs to
establish and transfer ownership of the
property
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Prepaid costs: these are not fees,
but charges due at closing
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Escrows: credits to you, prepaid at
closing, to be used at a future date
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Lender
Fees
Lender fees cover the cost of obtaining a mortgage.
You're repaying the mortgage company for the expense of
putting together the package of information the supports
your worthiness as a loan risk. The lender and the broker
rightfully need to be paid for the expense of setting up
your loan.
You may become confused when shopping for your mortgage
loan, because there is no standard for the name or
"cost" of the various lender fees. What one lender might
call
an "Administration Fee" another could call an
"Underwriting Fee" or "Documentation Fee". Also, some
fees might be grouped together and included with other
fees. For instance, the "appraisal fee" and "credit
report fee" might be grouped under something called the
"Commitment Fee".
Discount
Points
A lender can charge one, two or more points. Each
point is one percent of the loan amount. For
instance, on a $100,000 mortgage, one point is $1,000. Generally,
you pay points to lower the interest rate on the loan.
Property appraisal
An appraisal is an estimate of the value of a property,
made by a qualified professional appraiser. Because
the home you are purchasing will serve as collateral for
the loan, an appraisal of the property is a
critical factor in determining how much of a mortgage the
lender will approve.
The
appraiser is chosen by the mortgage lender and looks at
your home in two different ways to determine its value.
First, what it would cost to rebuild the home. Second,
how the home compares to other properties of similar
size, quality, and location that have recently
sold.
You may be
offered a smaller loan, or even refused a mortgage, if
the appraisal falls short of the amount you wish to
borrow. You may have to make up the difference with
a larger down payment, or re-negotiate the sale price
with the seller.
Title fees
You must provide the lender with title insurance.
This policy
guarantees you, and your lender, that you have
clear financial interest in the property. It checks
for any defects, liens or encumbrances on the property
that may affect the rights of ownership, possession, or
use of the property. It is issued after a complete
examination of the public records. It also insures
against such things as forgery, fraud, missing heirs or
divorce actions.
Escrow
The lender
will require that money be placed into special escrow
accounts to ensure that taxes and insurance premiums are
paid on time. The lender will pay your taxes and
insurance premiums when they become due. Federal law
limits the amount of "cushion" to two months
of escrow payments.
Prepaids
Prepaids help
determine the amount of cash needed on the day of
closing.
Interest
For instance,
you'll need to pay interest from the day you close until
the first of the next month. Should you close on
the 20th day of a month containing 31 days, you'll need
to bring 11 days of interest to the closing.
Hazard
Insurance
The lender will expect you to insure the
property against loss due to an unforeseen hazard. So
you’ll be required to purchase a homeowner’s
insurance policy, and flood insurance if your new home
is located in a flood plain.
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