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

A loan in which the entire charge is subtracted up front from the face value of a loan. The proceeds received are the face value of the loan less this deduction, which increases the ...

Stated rate of interest on the face amount of a loan or installment note. ...

Roof having two slopes or pitches on each side. The lower slope is greater than the upper slope. ...

Lessors of real estate play a crucial role in the leasing process. They enable property owners to boost their assets and profits while providing tenants access to dwelling spaces and ...

Precalculated tables providing the present values of $1 or an annuity of $1 for different time periods and at different discount rates. ...

To obtain the right through authorization to act as a legal representative and agent for another. ...

A liability that does not go beyond the owner's investment in a real estate business. A corporation and limited partners have this benefit. The stockholders of a corporation usually have ...

(1) Short-term loan that is made in anticipation of permanent longer term loans. The interest rate on such a loan is usually higher than on longer term loans. (2) A business loan in which ...

Simply put, probate is a legal proceeding whereby the will of a deceased is tested for validity. The definition of probate is not known to most Americans. According to a Gallup survey, ...

Popular Real Estate Questions