Home Loan Closing Costs

Closing costs are costs that are separate from and in addition to the down payment on a home. They can run from 2 to 5 percent of the price of the home. Thus just having enough money for the down payment won't be enough, you will have to also budget for closing costs. What actually constitutes closing costs varies from state to state, however the most common ones are given below:

Loan origination fees
These fees generally run about 1-2% of the loan amount. The fees are for the lender to make the funds available to lend. It is possible to find a loan with no loan origination fee, however the interest rate will be higher over the lifetime of the loan.

Escrow fees
Escrow fees deal with the lender's task of preparing the documents for the loan. The escrow fee itself can range from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars, depending on the price of the home.

Title insurance
Title insurance protects the lender and yourself from the chance that the seller doesn't actually own the home they are selling. The premium paid when you close is only paid once, unless you refinance.

Attorney fees
In some states, usually on the east coast, lawyers are involved in the purchase of real estate. If you do need to hire a lawyer the cost can be several hundred dollars.

Private mortgage insurance
If the down payment on your home is less than 20% of the purchase price, the your lender will insist you get private mortgage insurance. Private mortgage insurance protects the lender in case you can't make the payments.

Homeowners insurance
Home owners insurance protects your home from unforeseen events that may occur. However, be sure to read the policy carefully, sometimes certain events are not covered. At closing you may be required to pay up to a year's premium. Homeowners insurance can run from several hundred to over a thousand dollars, depending on the price of the home and how extensive the coverage.

Property inspections
It is always a good idea to have the home inspected professionally before purchasing it. The cost for professional inspections will be around several hundred dollars.

Property taxes
When you close your home purchase, the seller may have already pre-paid for property tax, and since you will be acquiring the home before the end of the pre-paid payment is over, you may have to reimburse the seller for the rest of the paid property tax. Here's an example: Suppose you purchase a home on July 17, and the seller had already paid the property tax through December 31, then you would have to reimburse the seller for the amount of pre-paid tax from July 17 to December 31. Actual property taxes are based on the home's purchase date, and can be between several hundred to a couple thousand dollars.

Prepaid loan interest
Upon closing you will be charged interest that will accrue from the date the loan is granted until the date of the first payment. Ideally if you don't have money to pay for prepaid interest, then you should try to coordinate the granting of loan to the date of first payment, by doing this you will end up paying less prepaid interest.

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