Who’s Invited to The Closing?

Certain people will be there. Who, exactly, depends on your state. Typically, you will be joined by:

  • Your agent
  • The seller
  • The seller’s agent
  • A title company representative
  • Your loan officer
  • Any real estate attorneys involved in the transaction

The closing usually takes place at the title company, attorney’s office, or the buyer’s or seller’s agent’s real estate office. FYI: Some states, like California, don’t require an in-person, sit-down closing because they’ve enacted legislation that allows for electronic closings with remote notaries.

Nonetheless, as the home buyer, you’ll have to sign what might seem like a mountain of paperwork — including the deed of trust, promissory note (promising the lender you’ll pay back the loan), and other documents. That cramp in your wrist will be worth it once everything is done.

How Much Will I Pay for Closing Costs?

If you’ve heard people vent frustration with the process of buying a home, then you’ve likely heard complaints about unexpected costs at closing. Let’s unpack what you should expect so you’re not surprised, too.

Closing costs can vary widely by location and your home’s purchase price. Costs are split between you and the seller, but as the buyer you’ll cover the lion’s share. You can generally expect your closing costs to be 3% to 4% of the home’s sales price. So, on a $300,000 home, you can pay anywhere from $9,000 to $12,000 in closing costs. (Meanwhile, the seller typically pays closing costs of 1% to 3% of the sales price.)

You can try to predict closing costs with calculators like Nerdwallet’s, which lets you plug in your mortgage details to get a rough estimate of what your costs will be.

Closing fees often include (but are not limited to):

  • Commission for the buyer’s agent and seller’s agent
  • A loan application fee
  • An origination fee, which lenders charge for processing your loan
  • The appraisal fee
  • A fee for pulling your credit report
  • An underwriting fee, which covers the lender’s costs of researching whether to approve you for the loan
  • A title search fee
  • Property taxes, which are due within 60 days of the purchase
  • A recording fee for filing a public land record with the courthouse These fees are a bummer.

The bright side: Almost all of them are one-time deals.