Definition of "Closing costs"

- What are the closing costs?

Closing costs are the fees and expenses paid during Closing. They are not included in the final purchase price of the property.

- How much are the closing costs?

Normally, the closing fees are somewhere between 2 to 5 percent of the final purchase price of the property.

- What is included in the closing costs?

That varies from state to state, the type of property in question and the type of loan the bank gave to the home buyer. But here is a list of expenses typically included:

Application fee
Appraisal
Credit report
Escrow fee
Home Owner Association’s Transfer Fee
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

And many more…

- Who pays the closing costs?

Typically the home buyer, but you can try to negotiate with the Home Seller. Some Home Sellers do accept to share or even assume this burden, most of the times deducting it from the final purchase price of the property. That's why Understanding the Housing Market on your Own is important. If you're in a Buyer's Market, a Home Seller will likely cede in order to sell his house once and for all.

 

Real Estate tips:

Take a look at our Glossary to find other terms and kick your real estate vocabulary up to a new level!

Also search through The Official Real Estate Agent Directory® to find a trustworthy agent to help you in all stages of a home sale.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Property title having no encumbrances. In the usual sense this means a title not having a mortgage. Other encumbrances could include judgments or additional financial liens. ...

Listing of all of the plats of subdivided plots in a jurisdiction showing the location, boundaries, and plat owners. A plat book normally shows other improvements including roads, blocks, ...

The assessment in real estate definition means the evaluation of a property’s value by an assessor. They are generally required to evaluate the property annually as the assessment is ...

An order withdrawing a property lien after a claim is paid by other means. ...

To depreciate is to lose value for something. Depreciation is the act of losing worth.Connecting with real estate, Property depreciation can be both an accounting method typically used to ...

Demolition and removal of all existing structures on a building site and the subsequent construction of a totally new building structure. For example, in a downtown redevelopment project, ...

Individual having permission to act ob behalf of a bank or other financial institution in a specified locality to attract interest borrowers. ...

As the term “servient” comes from the root word “serve” and to serve means to perform a duty or a service for another entity, its meaning is easy to define. The term ...

Partial fulfillment. Pro tanto is normally used in relation to the partial satisfaction of a claim. For example, a pro tanto settlement in an eminent domain action will not prejudice any ...

Popular Real Estate Questions