Estimate the fees and costs you'll pay when closing on a home purchase
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Lender Fees | |
| Loan Origination | $3,200 |
| Appraisal | $500 |
| Credit Report | $50 |
| Flood Certification | $25 |
| Underwriting | $800 |
| Home Inspection | $500 |
| Title & Settlement | |
| Title Search | $400 |
| Title Insurance | $1,600 |
| Settlement Fee | $600 |
| Survey | $400 |
| Government Fees | |
| Recording Fees | $300 |
| Transfer Tax | $800 |
| Prepaid Items | |
| Prepaid Interest | $855 |
| Home Insurance | $1,200 |
| Property Tax Escrow | $1,200 |
| Total Closing Costs | $12,430 |
Closing costs are the one-time fees due when a home purchase completes — lender charges, title and escrow services, government recording, and prepaid items like the first year of insurance and a property tax cushion. Buyers typically pay 2–5% of the purchase price on top of the down payment.
This calculator itemizes the typical costs for your price and loan so the cash-to-close number doesn't surprise you. It matters: on a $400,000 home, closing costs alone can run $8,000–$20,000.
Lender fees (origination, underwriting, appraisal), title search and title insurance, escrow/settlement fees, government recording and transfer taxes, plus prepaids: homeowners insurance, property tax escrow deposits, and per-diem interest to the end of the closing month.
On a purchase, generally no — they're due in cash at closing (refinances can roll them in). But you can offset them with seller concessions negotiated in the offer or a lender credit in exchange for a slightly higher rate.
Both, different ones. Buyers pay lender, title, and escrow fees; sellers customarily pay agent commissions and some transfer taxes, though customs vary by state and everything is negotiable in the purchase contract.
Shop at least three lenders and compare Loan Estimates, ask about fee waivers, shop shoppable services like title insurance, close later in the month to cut prepaid interest, and negotiate seller credits — especially effective in buyer's markets.
Buyers typically pay 2–5% of the home price in closing costs on top of the down payment. What every fee is, which ones are negotiable, and how to cut the total.