: Their bank required an appraisal to confirm the house was actually worth $400,000. This cost them another $350–$1,000 . The "Lender & Legal" Fees
Before they could even finish the paperwork, Sarah and Mike had to open their wallets for early due diligence:
: A title company charged about $300–$2,500 to search public records and ensure no one else could claim ownership of the home .
More than a Mortgage: Eight Surprising Costs of Buying a Home
Meet Sarah and Mike. They just found their dream cottage for $400,000. They have their 20% down payment ready, but their lender just handed them a "Loan Estimate" that made them realize the sticker price was only the beginning.
As the closing date approached, the administrative costs—often called —began to stack up, typically totaling 2% to 6% of the loan amount :
