Understanding Closing Costs When Buying a Home

Few things are as exciting as buying your first home. That said, few things are more confusing than buying your first home. Selling and buying real estate Toms River comes with closing costs. Learn what such costs are to create a more realistic budget for your home purchase.

Defining Closing Costs

Paid when finalizing a home purchase, closing costs compensate professionals who help insure, fund and approve the sale. Buyers can add closing costs to their mortgage to cover them, and such costs usually total roughly 5% of a property’s purchase price. 

Lender Fees

Closing costs for lenders vary from company to company. Specifically, lender closing costs consist of discount points that help lower the interest rate on your mortgage. That is why you should shop around for an ideal loan that matches your financial resources. 

Homeowner Fees

When creating your home-buying budget, account for homeowner’s insurance, property tax and homeowners association fees. True, you must pay these fees every year, but when you buy a home, you store these homeowners fees in escrow. For that reason alone, include them in your budget. Do not forget to calculate for escrow account fees, which you must pay to set up the holding account.

Third-Party Fees

Along the way to becoming a homeowner, you may have to pay a credit report fee, appraisal fee or tax service fee. Separately, third-party fees may not make much of a dent in your bank account, but together, they can make you feel as if you need to take out a small loan to cover the total fee amount. Ensure that you know the difference between fixed fees and billed services that you can shop around for.

Do not let closing costs hit you with sticker shock. Determine which costs you must pay and how much they are.

Comments are closed.