The closing is when the title to the property is transferred from the seller to the purchaser. If the buyer is using a mortgage loan to purchase the property once it is approved, the title work is complete, if no problems prevent completion of the transaction then the loan will be finalized. The deed then transfers over and the lender disperses the money.

 

A closing in Georgia consists of all the parties to the transaction meeting to execute necessary documentation under the direction of an attorney usually chosen by the lender. The closing attorney represents the lender when a loan is involved and either the seller or purchaser if it is a cash closing.

 

Closing costs vary widely based on where you live, the property you buy, and the type of loan you choose. Often, many of the fees that make up closing costs are negotiable. The typical mortgage closing costs are 2 to 5 percent of the loan amount. For example, the closing costs for a loan of $200,000 in Metro Atlanta is $2,303.

 

 

Types Of Closing Costs:

Mortgage closing costs can be grouped into 5 categories. After reviewing each category, you will able to determine the purpose of each closing cost or fee.
 

Lender Fees:

Lenders/Brokers charge different fees for assisting you in obtaining a mortgage along with fees to help you buy down a rate (called discount points). Some lenders/brokers may charge all the fees listed below or they may only charge a few.

 

Origination Fee - A fee charged by a lender/broker as compensation for providing you with a mortgage loan. 

Discount Fees - "Points" you can pay to buy down an interest rate. The more points you pay, the lower the interest rate. Discount points are optional fees. To read more about discount points, click here.

Application Fee - Lenders/Brokers may charge this fee up front to offset the cost of processing your loan. 

Processing Fee - A fee to cover the costs to process your loan.

Underwriting Fee - A lender/broker fee charged to determine if the lender is willing to lend you money based on your application for a mortgage. 

Administrative Fee - Similar to the Processing Fee, this is a fee to cover the expenses of processing your loan.

Document Preparation Fee - A fee to prepare your specific loan documents to be signed at closing.

Courier Fee - This fee may or may not be charged by a lender/broker. It covers the cost of sending your loan documents to different parties. 

Wire Transfer Fee - This fee may or may not be charged by a lender/broker. A wire transfer is the way lenders provide your loan funds to the closing agent for disbursement to various parties.

 

Title Fees:

When a lender/broker agrees to mortgage a piece of property, the lender/broker needs to guarantee that the property is indeed owned by the person(s) stated (either the seller for a purchase or the borrower for a refinance). The fees listed assist the lender/broker in determining the current owner of the property and ensuring that information is correct. 

 

Title Fee - A fee charged by the title company or another party to search public records to determine if there are any liens on the property being financed.

 

Title Insurance - This insurance protects both the buyer and the lender. The closing attorney will do a thorough examination of the title which reveals recorded deed, liens, etc. Title insurance can protect against the occurrence of fraud, forgery and other issues which can not be determined by a title search.

 

Title Exam - This fee is charged by the closing attorney to examine the title once the abstract is received from the title abstract company. The exam is to determine if there are any title issues such as breaks in the chain of title, or any unsatisfied mortgages, liens or judgments which have been recorded.

 

Attorney Fee - This flat fee covers the attorney’s time resolving title issues and to prepare closing documents as well as the actual time conducting the closing.

 

Government Fees: 

When you purchase or refinance your home, the local government requires the changes resulting in becoming public record. The government also collects the appropriate taxes.

 

Recording Fee - After closing, your mortgage and property transaction is recorded with the appropriate county. A fee to record the mortgage or deed of trust is charged by the county. 

 

Intangible Tax -  This tax is typically paid by the borrower and is based on the mortgage loan amount.  In Georgia, the tax is $1.50 per $500.00 of the loan amount.

 

Transfer Tax -  This tax is paid by the seller and is based on the purchase price of the property. In Georgia, the transfer tax is $1.00 per $1,000 of the purchase price.

 

Property Tax - This tax rate is dependent on the county where your property is located. Property tax is prorated between the buyer and seller at the closing.

 

Third Party Fees:

The lender will require some additional items that are paid to third parties.

 

Appraisal Fee - An appraiser will evaluate your home to determine its fair market value. This fee is paid to the appraiser for this report.

 

Credit Report Fee - Your lender will order a credit report to determine your creditworthiness. A fee is paid to the credit service agency.

 

Tax Service Fee - A tax service fee is collected and paid to an outside source that monitors your tax account and alerts the lender to any unpaid tax bills.

 

Flood Certification Fee - A flood certification determines if your property is located in a "flood zone," an area of high risk of flood damage. If your property is in a flood zone, flood insurance will be required by your lender. 

 

Survey Fee - A survey, or an Improvement Location Certificate, is done by a licensed surveyor and determines that your lot has not been encroached upon.

 

Pre-paid Items:

These items are required by a lender/broker and will vary depending on your specific situation.

 

Interest - You will owe your lender interest for the number of days that you "use" your mortgage in a month. If you were to close on the first day of April, you would owe the lender 30 days of interest. The daily amount of interest is based on your interest rate.

 

Hazard Insurance Premium - You must have hazard insurance on your home if you have a mortgage lien on your property because it protects the lender's investment. Your insurance agent determines the amount of your yearly premium. 

 

Mortgage Insurance Premium - Mortgage Insurance (MI) is required by lenders on any property where the loan amount is over 80% of the home's purchase price (or appraised value if a refinance). The actual premium amount is determined by an MI company. Your lender will typically choose the MI company. 

 

Impounds - At closing, you will deposit money into an escrow account. These funds are called impounds. The money is used for paying your hazard insurance, mortgage insurance, and property taxes when they come due. This escrow account will grow each month as you make your mortgage payments because a portion of your mortgage payment will be put into it. When your yearly insurance or taxes are due, your lender will then be able to pay the amounts with the money available in your escrow account.

 

 

Related Information:

This is information is related to your loan, the purchase price, and the closing costs.
 

Purchase Price Payments:

These payments go towards the purchase price of the home and are paid prior to the closing.

 

Earnest Money - This money is your "security" deposit so to speak. Putting up this money at the beginning shows the seller that you have every intention of buying the home. It also gives the seller the security of knowing that if you back out, they get to keep the earnest money since they took the home off the market and potentially lost other buyers in doing so. The amount of earnest money is negotiable but is typically in the range of 1 to 2 percent of the purchase price.

 

Down Payment - The down payment is money you give to the home's seller and it goes towards the purchase price. The rest of the payment to the seller comes from your mortgage. Typically, the full amount of the down payment must be deposited into escrow up until the closing date.

 

Misc Information:

This is information related to your loan and the legal requirements that must be adhered to by the lender/broker.

 

Good Faith Estimate - Your lender/broker must provide to you a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of closing costs. By law, your lender/broker is required to provide a GFE within three days after you have applied for a mortgage. Each fee that the lender/broker expects to be charged at closing, should be listed on the GFE. Because each lender's fees may be different, HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) has standardized all possible closing costs with codes. The chart provided here will provide you with the appropriate code and typical fee associated with each cost. Each fee listed here is an estimate. Your lender/broker will provide you with the exact costs depending on your loan situation.

 

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) - Under the Truth In Lending Law, a lender/broker must provide for you in writing the APR for your particular loan. The APR is the percentage cost of the credit for which you are obtaining on a yearly basis. The APR was designed by the federal government to reveal the true total cost of getting a loan. The APR includes the interest rate and other added costs such as points, origination fees, and mortgage insurance (if applicable). The APR is designed so that you can compare credit costs. Keep in mind that the APR is not the same as the interest rate. The interest rate is the rate with which your monthly mortgage payments are calculated. The APR will always be higher than the interest rate because it includes other closing costs required by the lender/broker.

You can use the APR to assist you as you shop for a mortgage. All written advertisements must include the APR with the interest rate. If the APR is considerably higher than the interest rate, you will recognize that there are many costs associated with the loan thus resulting in a higher APR. If you are speaking with a lender/broker over the telephone, ask him or her for the APR for any rate you are quoted.

The APR is one tool that can be used to assist you in getting your best deal. You will still need to get a Good Faith Estimate that breaks down all closing costs that you will be charged.