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Buy a Home with No Closing Costs
An alarming number of first time homebuyers are unaware that mortgages involve closing costs, and which often creates a financial obstacle. Here, we’ll explain not only what closing costs are, but more importantly, how to avoid paying them!
What are Closing Costs?
Closing costs are additional fees a homebuyer is responsible for, outside of the down payment, at the time of closing. They include things like lender fees, title fees, government fees, and prepaid items such as property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. See below for a more conclusive list of closing costs you may encounter.
Lender Fees
• Credit Report Fee
• Application Fee (if applicable)
• Origination Fees (if applicable)
Appraisal Fee
Flood Certification Fee
Title Fees
• Chain of Title
• Owner’s Title Insurance (typically paid by the seller in Michigan)
• Lender’s Title Insurance
• Closing Fee
• Courier Fee
Government Fees
• Recording Fees
• Transfer Tax (typically paid by the seller in Michigan)
Real Estate Broker Fees (if applicable)
Prepaid Items
• Per Diem Interest
• Property Taxes
• Homeowner’s Insurance
• Tax Prorations (to reimburse the seller for taxes they already paid)
Related: Transfer Tax Calculator and Title Insurance Calculator
How Much are Closing Costs?
Closing costs vary based on factors such as loan amount, location (state and locality) of the property, and lender fees. Total closing costs typically range between 3-6 percent of the sale price. As stated above, not all fees apply in every loan situation. For instance, here in Michigan, title insurance and transfer taxes are typically paid by the seller.
Ask your buyer’s agent about what (if any) fees their brokerage charges for their services, as their administrative fees can range up to $500. Lender fees can also have a large impact on a homebuyer’s total closing costs. Here at Riverbank Finance, we don’t charge any additional lender fees for most loan programs! Be sure to ask your loan officer what fees you can expect to pay for their services.
Can I Avoid Paying Closing Costs?
There are several ways in which homebuyers can avoid paying closing costs. The most common way to do this is to request seller paid closing costs when writing an initial offer on a property. Each loan program is different, but allows for a percent of the purchase price to be given back– up to 3% on Conventional, 4% on VA, and 6% on FHA and USDA. For example, if you are purchasing a $200,000 home with a VA mortgage, you can request seller paid closing costs of up to $8,000.
Homebuyers should also speak with their loan officers about no-closing cost loan programs. By utilizing lender credits, buyers can reduce or even eliminate their closing costs altogether—ask your loan officer if you qualify for lender paid closing costs! Here at Riverbank we charge NO APPLICATION FEES and most of our loan programs have NO LENDER FEES.
Get More Information
To apply for a Mortgage or Refinance with NO closing costs, call Riverbank Finance today at 1-800-555-2098.