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

Housing whose rental payments are reduced because of aid granted by the federal, state, or local governments, private enterprises, or individuals. For example, monthly rental payments for ...

Branching is a widespread phenomenon in banking and other financial domains. A branch office defines an office or business bureau that a company opened in another location to provide ...

Supervisor of the operation of apartments while residing in one of the apartments. Some responsibilities include showing vacant apartment to prospective tenants and assuring that the ...

Formal, written, unconditional promise to pay on demand or at a future date a definite sum of money. The person signing the note and promising to pay is called the maker of the note. The ...

Database program that has real estate listings including property photographs. Real estate computer software allows real estate agents and brokers to search for a particular listing by ...

Economic principle determining the market prices of goods, services, and property. The principle states there is a pricing relationship between supply and demand for real property. Economic ...

Depository institution, such as mutual savings banks. If organized as mutual associations, depositors are shareholders, They offer mortgages. ...

The definition of real estate owned (REO) is known by heart by house flippers or by real estate agents specialized in bank owned properties. These are properties that once used to be in a ...

Amount the taxpayer gets back when he or she files the tax return at the end of the reporting year because taxes were overpaid for that year. The tax overpayment equals the tax payments ...

Popular Real Estate Questions