Closing Costs | Buyers
Below are some of the costs you may incur as a Buyer of Tahoe Real Estate.
A number of fees are incurred if you will be getting a loan. Other fees will happen for both financed and cash sales.
When you first apply for your loan, you will receive a statement showing and estimate of costs with your loan and home/condo purchase.
Generally, you can expect your closing costs to equal about two (2) percent of your purchase price. That amount could be higher depending on the type of loan/lender you have selected to use.
If you area cash buyer your closing costs will be about one (1) percent of your purchase price.
Appraisal Fee
All buyers cash and those getting a loan should get an appraisal done on the property they are purchasing.
This is a one-time fee for an “appraisal,” a statement of property value required on most loans. An independent fee appraiser makes the appraisal. Unique and more expensive homes will typically have a higher appraisal fee.
The cost for an appraisal can vary, and if it is a “Rush” order, it can be double the regular fee.
Credit Report Fee:
Buyers getting a loan will be charged for a credit report. This one-time fee covers the cost of your credit report, which is processed by an independent credit-reporting agency.
Document Preparation Fee:
Both cash and loan buyers will be charged a document preparation fee. There may be a separate, one-time fee that covers preparation of the final loan papers, including the note and the deed of trust, but this can vary by lender and title company.
Loan Origination Fee
Only Buyers getting a loan will have a loan origination fee. Often referred to as “points,” one point is equal to one percent of the mortgage loan.
In general, if you are willing to pay more in points, you will get a lower interest rate. Anything in addition to one point is often referred to as “discount points.”
Miscellaneous Title Charges
Both cash and loan buyers will be charged a title fee.
The Title Company will charge fees for a policy of title insurance and escrow services, which may include charges for document preparation, notary fees, recording fees and a settlement of closing fee.
These are all one-time charges. In the Tahoe area the title policy and escrow fee expenses are typically split 50/50 between the buyer and seller. While this is a negotiable item, the local area is a 50/50 split.
If you are getting a loan, your lender will require a second separate title policy for the loan. This second title insurance policy cost will fall completely to the Buyer. Buyer pays 100% of the loan title policy.
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Premium:
Only Buyers getting a loan may have PMI cost. Depending on the amount of your down payment (generally less than 20%), you may be required to pay a fee for private mortgage insurance, which protects the lender against loss due to foreclosure.
You may also be required to place funds into a special reserve account (called an impound account) for PMI, which will be held by the lender.
Prepaid Interest
Only Buyers getting a loan will have pre-paid interest charge. Depending on the day of the month your loan closes, this charge may vary from a full month of interest to just a few days of interest.
If your loan closes near the end of the month, you will have to pay only a few days of interest.
Taxes and Hazard Insurance:
Both cash and loan buyers will have prorated taxes. Based on the month you close, property taxes will be prorated between you and the seller.
Depending on how your insurance company handles payment of their policy both cash and loan buyers may also be required to pay a full year’s hazard insurance (or homeowner’s insurance) premium in advance. That payment may happen in escrow or may be paid separately.
Only buyers getting a loan may also be required to place funds into a special reserve account (impound account) for taxes and insurance, which is held by the lender. You absolutely must have this to obtain a mortgage.
The “dwelling coverage” portion of your hazard insurance covers costs to completely rebuild your home, while the “liability coverage” protects you against accidents that occur on your property.
“Personal Property Coverage” pays to replace your possessions and generally totals 50 to 75 percent of the dwelling coverage amount. Flood, earthquake, and avalanche insurance policies also are available and are recommended if you are in high-risk areas.
Title Insurance Fees
There are two title polices – a buyer’s policy, which protects the new homeowner (both cash and loan buyers will get this first policy), and a lender’s title policy (only for those buyer getting a loan) that protects the lender against loss due to a defect in the title.
These are both one-time fees. In our area the buyer’s policy cost is split 50/50 with the seller. The lender’s title policy is pay for by the buyer.
Home Warranty Policy
Depending on what was negotiated in your purchase contract (Both cash and loan buyers), a one-time home warranty policy may be purchased.
This policy typically covers appliances, mechanical items such as the furnace, air conditioner, water wells, sump pumps, jetted tubs, etc… limited plumbing, electrical, roofing, etc…
This is an option item in the contract, but the one-time cost will appear as a closing cost. Policies range from $300 – $700 depending on what add-on’s are selected. The cost for the home warranty policy may be the cost of the buyer, seller, or split.
Home Owner Association (HOA) Transfer Fees
Depending on what was negotiated in your purchase contract, HOA transfer fees are paid at this time. The cost of the HOA transfer fee may be the buyer, seller, or split.
Closing Costs: The Good Faith Estimate
The Good Faith Estimate
The Good Faith Estimate of loan closing costs are made pursuant to the requirements of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). These are estimated settlement costs which the buyer will be responsible for in conjunction with the settlement of the mortgage loan. There are two general categories of closing costs, non-recurring and recurring. Non-recurring closing costs are items that are paid once, while recurring costs are items paid repeatedly over the life of the loan.
This is a detailed summary of costs you may have to pay when you buy or refinance your home. They are listed in the order in which they should appear on a Good Faith Estimate you obtain from your mortgage lender. Elements of the Good Faith Estimate are: (Costs will apply differently to each home buyer and are not particular in total to all home buyers)
| Non-Recurring Closing Costs Associated with the Lender:Loan Origination Fee
Loan Discount Fee Appraisal Fee Credit Report Fee Lender’s Inspection Fee Mortgage Broker Fee Tax Service Fee Flood Certification Fee Flood Monitoring Other Lender Fees Document Preparation Fee Underwriting Fee Administration Fee Appraisal Review Fee Warehousing Fee Items Required to be Paid in Advance Prepaid Interest Homeowner’s Insurance VA Funding Fee Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP)
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Reserves Deposited with the Lender:Homeowners Insurance Impounds
Property Tax Mortgage Insurance Impounds Non-Recurring Closing Costs not associated with the Lender: Closing/Escrow Fee Title Insurance Notary Fees Recording Fees Pest Inspection Home Inspection Home Warranty Homeowner’s Association Transfer Fee Refinancing Associated Costs Interest Reconveyance Fee Demand Fee Sub-Escrow Fee Loan Tie-In Fee
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Closing Costs:
An Explanation of Terms
NON-RECURRING CLOSING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LENDER:
Loan Origination Fee: The loan origination fee is often referred to as “points”. One point is equal to one percent of the mortgage loan. As a rule, if a borrower is willing to pay more in points, then the borrower will get a lower interest rate.
Loan Discount Fee: On a government loan, the loan origination fee is normally listed as one point or one percent of the loan. Any points in addition to the loan origination fee are called “discount points”. On a conventional loan, discount points are usually lumped in with the loan origination fee.
Appraisal Fee: Since the property serves as collateral for the mortgage, lenders want to be reasonably certain of the value and they require an appraisal. The appraisal is used to determine if the price you are paying for the home is justified by recent sales of comparable properties. The appraisal fee varies, depending on the value of the home and the difficulty involved in justifying value. Unique and more expensive homes usually have a higher appraisal fee. Appraisal fees on VA loans are higher than on conventional loans.
Credit Report Fee: As part of the underwriting review, the mortgage lender will want to review the borrower’s credit history. The cost varies depending upon the type of report requested.
Lender’s Inspection Fee: This is generally associated with new construction and is associated with what is called a 442 inspection. Since the property is not finished when the initial appraisal is completed, the 442 inspection verifies that construction is complete with carpeting and flooring installed.
Mortgage Broker Fee: About seventy percent of loans are originated through mortgage brokers and sometimes the points associated with the loan are listed here instead of under Loan Origination Fee. They may also add in any broker processing fees in this area. The purpose is to clearly indicate how much is being charged by the wholesale lender and how much is charged by the broker. Wholesale lenders offer lower costs/rates to mortgage brokers than you can obtain directly, so you are not paying “extra” by going through a mortgage broker.
Tax Service Fee: During the life of the loan the borrower makes monthly property tax payments, either on one’s own or through an impound account with the lender. Since property tax liens can sometimes take precedence over a first mortgage, it is in the lender’s interest to pay an independent service to monitor property tax payments.
Flood Certification Fee: The lender must determine whether or not the property is located in a federally designated flood zone. This fee is usually charged by an independent service to make that determination.
Flood Monitoring: From time to time flood zones are re-mapped. Some lenders charge this fee to maintain monitoring on whether this re-mapping affects the property.
OTHER LENDER FEES:
Document Preparation Fee: Before computers made it fairly easy for lenders to draw their own loan documents, they used to hire specialized document preparation firms for this function. This was the fee charged by those companies. Now lenders draw their own documents and a fee is charged on almost all loans.
Underwriting Fee: A fee is charged for the cost of underwriting the loan.
Administration Fee: If an Administration fee is charged, then generally there will not be a fee for underwriting.
Appraisal Review Fee: Even though a borrower will probably not see this fee on a Good Faith Estimate, it is charged occasionally. Some lenders review appraisals as a quality control procedure and charge for the activity.
Warehousing Fee: This is rarely charged, however, some lenders have a warehouse line of credit and add this as a charge to the borrower.
ITEMS REQUIRED TO BE PAID IN ADVANCE:
Prepaid Interest: Mortgage loans are usually due on the first of each month. Since loans can close on any day, a certain amount of interest must be paid at closing to get the interest paid up to the first of the month.
Homeowner’s Insurance: This is the insurance paid to cover possible damages to the home and other items. Normally the first year’s insurance is paid at the close. When purchasing a condominium, the Homeowner’s Association Fees normally cover this insurance.
VA Funding Fee: On VA loans, the Veteran’s Administration charges a fee for guaranteeing the loan. Based upon the use of the borrower’s VA eligibility, the fee is either two or three percent of the loan balance. Instead of paying for this as an expense, commonly it is financed into the loan balance.
Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP): This is charged on FHA purchases of single family residences or Planned Unit Developments and is 2.25% of the loan balance. Like the VA Funding Fee it is normally added to the balance of the loan.
Mortgage Insurance: Though rare, some first time home buyer programs require the first year mortgage insurance premium to be paid in advance. Most mortgage insurance is simply paid monthly along with the mortgage payment. Mortgage insurance covers the lender and covers a portion of the losses in those cases where borrowers default on the loan.
RESERVES DEPOSITED WITH THE LENDER:
Homeowners Insurance Impounds: The lender will divide the annual premium by twelve to determine the estimated monthly payment to the impound account. Since the lender is allowed to keep two months of reserves in the account, the borrower will need to deposit two months’ premiums into the impound account in the beginning.
Property Tax Impounds: This amount varies according to when the real estate transaction closes and when the taxes are due.
Mortgage Insurance Impounds: When required, lenders allow this premium to be paid monthly. However, a borrower may be required to put two months’ worth of mortgage insurance payments as an initial deposit into the impound account.
NON-RECURRING CLOSING COSTS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LENDER:
Closing/Escrow Fee: The fees associated with the closing.
Title Insurance: Title Insurance assures the homeowner that they have clear title to the property. The lender also requires it to insure that their new mortgage loan will be in first position.
Notary Fees: Most loan documents have multiple sets that must be notarized.
Recording Fees: Certain documents are recorded with the local County Recorder’s Office.
Pest Inspection: This is also referred to as Termite Inspection. This inspection tests for pest infestations and other items such as wood rot and water damage. If repairs are required, depending on what was negotiated, the buyer may responsible for paying for thoes repairs. It is a negotiable item.
In the Tahoe area the buyer pays for the pest inspection fee and is not normally reflected on the Good Faith Estimate. Check with your lender to see if a pest inspection and any work noted on the pest inspection report will be required for your loan prior to writing your offer so you can negotiate who will pay for repairs.
Home Inspection: Since it is the home buyer’s choice to obtain a home inspection, this cost may not be reflected on the Good Faith Estimate. However, it is highly recommended.
Home Warranty: This is an optional item. A Home Warranty usually covers such items as the major appliances, should they break down within a specific time. Often this is paid by the seller.
Homeowner’s Association Transfer Fee: When buying a condominium or a home with a Homeowner’s Association, the association often charges a fee to transfer all of their ownership documents to the buyer.
FIANCING ASSOCIATED COSTS:
Interest: When closing the transaction on a refinance, there may be outstanding interest due on the old loan.
Reconveyance Fee: This fee is charged by the existing lender when they “reconvey” their collateral interest in the property back to the borrower through recording of a Reconveyance.
Demand Fee: The existing lender may charge a fee for calculating payoff figures.
Sub-Escrow Fee: This fee is actually charged by the Title Company.
Loan Tie-In Fee: This fee is charged by the Escrow Company.
