We all agree, purchasing a home will be, for most of us, the largest purchase you will make in our life. You have found your future home, arranged for financing and are now waiting for the closing date. But to many people's surprise, there are other monies that will need to be disbursed before or on the closing date.
Some of the upfront costs you should plan on paying when purchasing a home include appraisals, inspections, earnest money, lenders fees, title company fees, and attorney fees. It is vital that you plan for these fees - speak to your real estate professional or your lender who will be able to outline and estimate all of these costs for you. The total cost of these various expenses and fees can run into the thousands and even the tens of thousands of dollars. It pays to be prepared.
You must also be careful of the 100% mortgages or no-money down loans. A no-money down loan does not mean that there aren't any costs associated with the loan. In reality, these types of loans allow the buyer to borrow 100% of the purchase price of the home however the buyer is still responsible for the numerous other costs mentioned above.
You should also keep in mind that you will have to pay a portion if not all of that year's property taxes. Typically, property taxes are called on and required to be paid in full as the home closes. A buyer, upon closing the home, will be called to pay his/her share of the annual bill as it is pro-rated. You may want to enquire about the property taxes of a specific house, or neighborhood, before signing the purchasing contract. Some neighborhoods are taxed more heavily than others.
There is however a way of 'avoiding' having to pay some or all of closing costs. As a borrower, you do have the right to ask a seller concession to cover your closing costs and pre-paid items. This makes it so you do not have to come up with any money at all for closing costs.
A seller concession is worked into the purchase agreement and the seller will end up paying for some or all of the closing costs. The seller concession is either a flat fee or a percentage of the loan amount. This is a fairly common practice, particularly in depressed real estate markets.
As for pre-paid items, they generally consist of pre-paid interest and escrows. Many people run into difficulty reading and understanding the multiple costs that are involved with purchasing a home. Because of this, do not take any chances and talk to a loan consultant or mortgage broker. This will help clarify your financial obligations.
Purchasing a home is an exciting adventure. Don't let your fear of the unknown spoil this joyous event. Being prepared and well informed will avoid you being shell-shocked when the time comes to paying the bills. The more informed you are, the better prepared you will be for the many upfront costs associated with buying a home.
