Showing posts with label what are closing costs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what are closing costs. Show all posts

Friday, April 2, 2021

What’s Included in your Mortgage Closing Costs

 You may be aware of the down payment required to buy a home, but what about closing costs associated with a mortgage at the Lake of the Ozarks? As the best mortgage lender at Lake of the Ozarks, Team Lasson takes pride in providing exemplary mortgage services and education to our clients. In this week’s blog, I’m going to be discussing the closing costs related to a mortgage and what you can expect. Continue reading to learn more!

Typical Closing Cost Fees:

You will receive a Loan Estimate which is an itemization of all the fees associated with your initial loan disclosures. Here are some of the fees that you will likely encounter:

Application Fee: this fee is charged by the lender to process your mortgage application. *Please note that Team Lasson does not charge this fee*

Origination Fee: this fee covers the lender’s administrative costs to process your loan.

Attorney Fee: this is a fee charged by a real estate attorney to prepare and review home purchase agreements and contracts.

Closing Fee: the closing fee is paid to the party that handles the documents and collects signatures at closing; typically, the title company in our area.

Courier Fee: this fee is incurred to help expedite the transportation of your closing documents. If the closing is done digitally or in-house, you may not encounter this fee.

Recording Fee: a fee charged by your local recording office, typically a city or county clerk’s office. This is for the official processing of the public land records.

Credit Report Fee: this fee covers the cost a lender incurs when they pull a tri-merged credit report from the three main reporting bureaus.

Escrow Deposit: this is an amount to set up an escrow account for property tax and homeowner’s insurance payments at closing.

Homeowners Insurance: lenders typically require a full year of the homeowner’s insurance premium at closing.

Lender’s Title Insurance: this is charged by the title company to issue the lender an insurance policy that protects them if there is an ownership dispute or lien that wasn’t found on the title search.

Owner’s Title Insurance: this is charged by the title company to issue you a title insurance policy that protects you if your ownership of the home is challenged.

Prepaid Interest: this payment covers any prorated interest on your mortgage that would accrue from the date of closing until the time of your first mortgage payment.

Appraisal Fee: a fee paid to a professional home appraisal company for assessing the homes fair market value.

Property Tax: a prorated property tax fee that collects for property tax due from the closing date to the end of the tax year.

Real Estate Commissions: (Typically seller paid but can be negotiated) The commission charged by your real estate agent. This fee is split between the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent.

Title Search Fee: a charge by the title company to analyze the public records and history of the home for any discrepancies that could lead to ownership issues.

Underwriter Fee: a charge by the lender for the work completed by underwriters that review and analyze your loan transaction.

These are just some of the standard fees that one will likely encounter when undergoing a mortgage transaction. However, there are certain fees that only apply to special loan products, rate locks, flood or private mortgage requirements, and out of state transactions. Always be sure to discuss any fee related questions with your mortgage officer.

Your Mortgage Lender at Lake of the Ozarks: Team Lasson

Closing costs are unavoidable when buying a home. Although, there are strategic ways that you can reduce the amount of your closing costs. As your premier mortgage lender at Lake of the Ozarks, I’m always happy to discuss any mortgage related options for you to find the best solution. So, if you’re ready to buy a home at Lake of the Ozarks, I encourage you to reach out so we may discuss your mortgage options to find the best fit for your homebuying needs. 


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Michael Lasson
Senior Loan Officer
NMLS #: 493712

4655 B Osage Beach Parkway
Osage Beach, MO 65065






**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent First State Bank of St Charles’s positions, strategies, or opinions.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Understanding Closing Costs

The final step in purchasing a home at the Lake of the Ozarks is the closing. During this process, you will meet with everyone involved in the transaction, sign all the papers and receive the keys to your new home. Along with this process, comes some fees, known as closing costs. Keep reading to learn more about closing costs from your Lake of the Ozarks mortgage lender.

Understanding Closing Costs


Many home buyers don't realize how much money they will need to contribute upfront when purchasing a home. As you work with a mortgage professional at the Lake of the Ozarks to determine a budget for your home purchase, you'll want to make sure to consider closing costs. When shopping for homes, you'll want to mentally add in several thousand dollars to cover those costs and help you determine if that property is affordable for you. Generally, your closing costs will be anywhere from 3-5% of the loan amount.

What are Closing Costs? 


There are a lot of applicable fees that go into the "closing costs." Below is a breakdown of what the closing costs typically include:
  • Loan Origination Fees - charged by the lender to pay for the evaluation & preparation of your home loan at the Lake of the Ozarks
  • Discount Points - prepaid finance charges to "pay down" the interest rate, if you plan to stay in your home at least 5 years, these points will benefit you buy saving money on interest in the long-run. 
  • Credit Report Check - covers the fee for pulling your credit. 
  • Inspection Fees - covers the cost to have the home inspected.
  • Appraisal Fees - covers the home appraisal, which determines the market value of the home. 
  • Homeowner's Insurance - home insurance is usually mandatory and has to be in place prior to the closing. 
  • Private Mortgage Insurance - depending on how much of down payment you provide, you may be required to purchase PMI. The premiums are usually setup to be paid annually through an escrow account or can be paid in full at closing. 
  • Attorney Fees - sometimes a buyer will want an attorney to represent them, and those fees are typically based on the cost of the home and how complicated the sale becomes. 
  • Taxes - in most states, the buyer will be required to provide 4-8 months of taxes at the time of closing, and that money will go into an escrow account. 
  • Daily Rate of Interest - this fee covers the loan interest from the closing date through the end of the first month and is paid to your lender. 
  • Document Preparation & Title Fees - these are paid to the title company, and include the title search and title insurance. A recording fee is also charged by the title company to cover the cost of recording the transfer of the title at the county clerk's office. 
  • Survey Costs - covers the cost of a survey on the property, which makes certain that there are no new structures added to the property since the last survey and that the property meets legal codes. 
As you can see, there are a lot of processes that go into the purchase of a home and costs involved. This is not a comprehensive list, and you will need to talk with your lender to determine an estimate of what your specific closing costs will be. 

For more information about what's involved with financing a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, give Lakelender Michael Lasson a call at 573-746-7211. I'm committed to working with you every step of the way. I'll discuss your financing options, offer competitive interest rates and back it up with the first-class service you deserve! 

For Lake area news, resources and tips on financial services, please 


Michael Lasson
Senior Loan Officer
NMLS #: 493712

4655 B Osage Beach Parkway
Osage Beach, MO 65065

Direct:  (573) 746-7211

**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent First State Bank of St Charles’s positions, strategies, or opinions.



Thursday, September 17, 2015

Closing Costs: The 411

You've decided to purchase a new home and now it's time to think about how much money you'll need upfront to make it happen. When you get a mortgage at the Lake of the Ozarks, you will need to pay fees charged by lenders and third parties related to the purchase of the home. These fees are in addition to the down payment. Here's the 411 on these "closing costs":

What are Closing Costs? 


Fees paid at the closing of a real estate transaction are called closing costs. The closing is when the title to the property is conveyed to the buyer. These costs can be incurred by either the buyer or the seller, but are typically paid by the buyer. They typically range from 2-5%  of the purchase price.

What Fees Make Up the Closing Costs? 


Depending on where you live and the type of property you buy, the closing costs can vary widely. However, closing costs will often include the following:
  • Credit Check Fee
  • Loan Origination Fee (charged by lenders for processing the paperwork) 
  • Attorney's Fees
  • Inspection Fees
  • Discount Points (fees you pay to lower your interest rate) 
  • Appraisal Fee
  • Survey Fee (covers the cost of verifying property lines)
  • Title Insurance (protects the lender in case the title isn't clean)
  • Title Search Fees (pays for background check on the title the make sure there are no unpaid mortgages or tax liens on the property)
  • Escrow Deposit
  • Pest Inspection Fee
  • Recording Fee (paid to a city or county to record the new land records) 
  • Underwriting Fee (covers the cost of evaluating a mortgage loan application) 

The "Good Faith Estimate"


Within 3 days of applying for a loan, your lender is required by law to provide you with a "good faith estimate" (GFE) of what the closing costs on your home will be. However, these are just an estimate and many of the fees listed on the GFE can legally change by up to 10%. Within a day of your closing, the lender should give you a HUD-1 settlement statement, which will outline the final closing costs. You can then compare this to your GFE and ask for an explanation on any changes.

When it comes to your financing needs, I'm committed to working with you every step of the way. If you're planning on buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks in the near future, give our office a call at 573-746-7211. As your Lake of the Ozarks mortgage lender, I'll discuss financing options, offer competitive interest rates and back it up with the first class service you deserve!

For Lake area news, resources and tips on financial services, please 


Michael Lasson
Sr. Residential Mortgage Lender
NMLS #: 493712

2265 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B
PO Box 1449
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Direct:  (573) 746-7211

Email:  mlasson@fsbfinancial.com

**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent First State Bank of St Charles’s positions, strategies, or opinions.