You’ve decided to purchase a home and you’ve saved up for a down payment and closing costs but wouldn’t it be better to just ask the seller to pay the closing costs for you to keep some of that cash in your pocket? Still, they're not entirely without merit. Also, by avoiding banks and other lenders, homebuyers might also pay fewer fees and less in closing costs. This one-time fee is paid at closing to your mortgage company. You decide to go big and offer the full $275,000 that you are approved for and request that the seller pays $5,000 towards your closing costs, netting the seller $270,000. In some cases, the seller will agree to pay the buyer’s closing costs in exchange for a higher sale price. They include processing fees, lender fees, points: all that stuff. What should we do about closing costs? So if you have an offer in at $400,000 with the seller just paying their own closing costs, the commission (let’s take our max. Disadvantages of Seller Paying Closing Costs. Being willing to consider paying some or all of the Buyers Closing Costs increases that pool of Buyers who might not be able to purchase the property otherwise. "Hey, wait a minute," you say. I'll say again: the buyer ALWAYS pays closing costs. (function() { I hope you found this information helpful and have a better understanding of the disadvantages of asking for the seller to pay closing costs. We're going to keep this simple for this transaction. So, the home sale price is listed as $225,000 and thus raises prices in the area even though you as the buyer are out of pocket the same $200,000 you initially offered. A tip to negotiating for the seller to pay closing costs is to offer to purchase the home for a higher amount if they agree to pay a certain amount of your closing costs. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; In addition to closing costs, keep in mind that as a seller, you may end up paying for additional costs, including: Loan prepayment fee: Depending on the terms of the mortgage you’ll be paying off, you’ll want to watch out for a prepayment penalty. Seller contributions toward closing costs, in reality, is a way for the buyer to work the fees into the mortgage loan. How Long After Making an Offer on a House Do You Hear Back? The key thing for a buyer to understand is that by asking the sellers to pay their closing costs they are actually increasing the purchase price and their mortgage amount. Feel free to contact me or post any questions in the comments down below. var cx = '014918532159340919144:cjmkbjmbf34'; Seller contributions toward closing costs, in reality, is a way for the buyer to work the fees into the mortgage loan. It's probably one of the top questions I get from both buyers and sellers, both of whom think some sort of enormous advantage (or disadvantage) is to be had with this little trickery. If your're looking for more on closing costs, check here. Living in Eugene, Oregon | Bethel Area Neighborhood Tour, Living in Eugene, Oregon: Churchill Area Neighborhood Tour, Living in Eugene, Oregon: Southeast Neighborhood Tour. If you add closing costs to your home loan, your lender might raise your interest rate. Hope that clears things up! They countered with $455. rate of 4.5% to pay both agents) would be $18,000. You’re pre-approved with your lender for up to a $275,000 purchase price and you really love this house. If you’re taking out a 30-year mortgage loan, for instance, that could significantly increase the amount you pay. No, the seller isn’t actually paying anything out of pocket. Those of us who have been in the business for a while know very well that in reality the Seller really does not pay the Buyers Closing Cost. Now that we know what they are, let's talk about when they happen. This article should be updated to be more accurate and explain that the net closing costs to both sides increases. Seller Charges $ Misc. Good. Accordingly, if you take out a loan for $100,000 you could owe around $3,000 in closing costs alone. The disadvantages of seller concessions are that the monthly mortgage payment is increased as a result of “paying more” for the house. I'm Bryn Cook and I'm a real estate agent here in Eugene, OR. Let's take a look at an actual transaction to see what happened. short sale). They didn't pay for anything!". Well, since the second only NETs you 298K, I'm betting you'll take the extra 2K. The seller pays them, but really, the bank is letting you borrow "extra" to pay the bank's own closing costs. You can offer $206,000 with $6,000 in seller contributions you can use to pay your closing costs. Another friend, Which would you take? These costs include: Transfer tax; Title searches Average closing cost is about $3000. Now a second offer comes in at $410,000 with the seller paying 10,000 toward the buyer’s closing costs. No problem, we re-work the paperwork so that the buyer will pay the seller $305,000 and the seller will pay the $5000 back to the buyer for the closing costs. Don’t forget to watch the other videos in my series about the home buying process in general. Typical Closing Costs in CT for Sellers . })(); Closing costs are paid according to the terms of the purchase contract made between the buyer and seller. The buyer may ask you to pay some or all of their closing costs. From the buyer’s perspective, seller financing can be an attractive alternative to getting a standard mortgage loan. gcse.src = 'https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=' + cx; If you are unsure how closing costs really work, this article is for you! Seller Pays Closings Costs: An End to the Myth of Free Money. House was listed at $479 (close to market). The Buyer calls at P & S (Purchase and Sale) and decides that he would like the seller to pay for $5000 of closing costs. Your article is nice, but it, like others written on the subject, fully ignore the additional costs to the seller if the seller accepts a higher offer price and pays for closing. As a seller, you have the option of paying the buyer's closing costs if you want to. Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel. gcse.async = true; s.parentNode.insertBefore(gcse, s); Thanks so much for watching. Ultimately, the majority of lenders dont care where the money comes from they just want to be paid. So there's no "free money" here. In real estate, a seller concession is a specified amount or percentage the seller is willing to pay on behalf of the buyer to assist in the buyer's closing costs. Disadvantages: Unless purchase price will pay mortgage(s) and closing costs in full, lender’s approval of price and terms of sale will be required (i.e. For instance, the two parties might agree on an amount that is 6% higher than the original list price, in exchange for the seller paying 6% of the buyer’s closing costs. Today we’re going to discuss a couple of disadvantages of the sellers paying for your closing costs when purchasing a new home. Lets start with some basic information. The loan amount would then be based on the $255,000 purchase price. Closing costs are added to what the buyer is paying for the house, and it's all laid out on the HUD, which is the official counting of the transaction. We shall see below, afterall, closings costs are often thousands of dollars. Or did they? If the property doesn’t appraise for the full, $275,000 purchase price then the mortgage company won’t finance the full amount. What, exactly, are closing costs? The seller's commission fee is higher, their title policy is higher, any expense related to the agreed upon price raises. I'd love to have you subscribe to my channel and join me for my next video. This is true, but the article is largely written for buyers. We made on offer for $427. Sellers also have fees that they must pay during land sales. The total closing costs that a seller will pay will depend on negotiation, the market, the home’s price, and what concessions the seller offers. Closing costs happen when the home is exchanged and title is handed over. Closing Cost Calculator. You’ve decided to purchase a home and you’ve saved up for a down payment and closing costs but wouldn’t it be better to just ask the seller to pay the closing costs for you to keep some of that cash in your pocket? For the purposes of this discussion, all those items are closing costs. Either the seller would need to reduce the purchase price to match the appraised value or you (as the buyer) would need to cover the difference and come in with additional cash. If the buyer requests repairs and the sellers agree, then typically the sellers must perform the repairs before close and those repairs are subject to buyer’s approval. Disadvantages of Seller Paying Closing Costs . You can always pay it down later, but  when cash is tight, this is usually the way to go. The typical costs include an origination or broker fee to the mortgage company, any mortgage points or discount fees used to buy down the interest rate, title and escrow fees, the cost of the home appraisal required by the lender, and prepaid taxes and insurance for the home. Our seller has a mortgage of $200,000, which he owes the bank, and he wants to sell his home for $300,000. The buyer always pays closing costs. Although it can be hard to remember, for the most part, when housing is going up in value, it's a leveraged investment, and the more it's leveraged in an up market, the better your return on invested capital is going to be. The closing costs for a land sale can often be an unexpected surprise for land buyers. (Remember: if Joe Buyer is buying the home for $300,000 with $3,000 in concessions it means that he could buy the house for $297,000 with zero concessions). Here’s an example. Instead of coming up with a 5 percent down payment of $4,750 and paying $5,000 in closing costs, he or she just needs to pay a $5,000 down payment. Lender may not approve price, seller concessions or closing cost credits. So instead of having to take $5000 out of your checking account to pay those closing costs, you can roll it into the mortgage, for about $25/month for the next 30 years. Now the whole reason this happens is so that the buyer can FINANCE the closing costs. The seller will be taking a check home from the closing for $100,000, which is what he wanted. var gcse = document.createElement('script'); Some types of loans require that you pay a percentage toward your closing costs, but in most cases, lenders allow the seller to foot the entire bill. Adding the request for closing costs on top of that can present challenges. My firm, and many others, don't charge commission on closing costs due the buyer, so the additional cost there is zero. Rather than asking for a seller credit for closing costs, you pay your own closing costs, $8,750, and the remaining $12,250 (3.5% down on an FHA Loan) gets your foot in the door. In fact, in recent years many lenders have disallowed seller paid closing costs on 100% financed home loans because of the high foreclosure rate. In real-estate parlance, It's done at the close. Put another way, let's say the seller has two offers: One is at 300K, but he doesn't have to pay closing costs, the other is at 303K, but he has to pay 5K in closing costs, and other than that the deals are equal. That’s $20,000 over asking. Your lender also prorates your homeowner's insurance payment for the month in which you close, another fee that can only be paid at closing. [CDATA[ The total for these fees can be anywhere from 2-5% of the loan amount. But before we do that, let’s break down what the closing costs are and how much you can expect to pay when purchasing a home with a mortgage loan. So don't be fooled: You can't sneak closing costs past a seller, any more than someone could sneak them by you. It all comes out the same for the seller … The typical 20% down payment is tough for some to scrape together, so owners willing to accept less can be helpful. Do they actually pay those fees out of their pocket? Other seller costs. The bigger loan is due to extra cash going towards closing costs, rather than down payment. Misc. No article I have seen yet is up front about how actual closing costs rise due to the higher house price. So you might be better off paying for them in cash during the closing stage. But in a competitive market, there are significant drawbacks. The seller counter-offers $225,000, but they say they will pay $25,000 in closing costs. Making the … Closing costs for sellers revolve around transferring ownership of the property, verifying their title, and paying off their outstanding balances. Closing costs come in two types. For example; Let’s say you’re going to make an offer on a $200,000 home. They have already come down quite a bit and have not received any other offers. So when you look at a HUD (a settlement statement for a housing transaction), the HUD shows money from the "seller's side" going over to the "buyer's side". To pay, you can take out a larger loan or ask the seller of the real estate to pay for the costs. Closing costs differ for both the buyer and the seller. It can also benefit the seller by attracting more buyers in a market where inventory outweighs demand. As you can see, there are a lot of disadvantages of a seller paying closing costs. Closing costs for sellers of real estate vary according to where you live, but as the seller you can expect to pay anywhere from 6% to 10% of the home's sales price in closing costs at settlement. Do they actually pay those fees out of their pocket? There are many kinds of closing costs which can total around three percent of the purchase price of a piece of real estate. So what do they REALLY mean when the SELLER agrees to pay closing costs? Hello- So instead of having to take $5000 out of your checking account to pay those closing costs, you can roll it into the mortgage, for about $25/month for the next 30 years. That's right. Bottom line: Paying off your closing costs over time rather than up front might not save you that much money. No, the seller isn’t actually paying anything out of pocket. Costs can vary depending on the lender and loan program you decide to use. That’s what we’re talking about today, so let’s go! It’s a good idea to weigh the pros and cons with your agent before submitting the request to the seller. So we don't discuss it much. We know they want to sell bad. Sellers Can Pay Closing Costs,But Only if the Buyer Borrows the Money! Not necessarily. When bidding on a home, you can offer $350,000 and request $3,000 in concessions to cover some of your closing costs. Yes, the seller occurs expenses, but they are pretty nominal. Instead, the seller offers to pay a certain amount by raising the cost of the home. If the seller will not agree to pay any of your closing costs you must pay them by bringing a bank check to the closing from your account OR you might be able to roll those costs into your mortgage by adding them to your purchase price - remember your house has to appraise at the FULL price including the closing costs if you roll them into your mortgage. So if the seller isn't out any dough, who paid for the closing costs? Answer: The buyer. Let’s go back to the $250,000 list price scenario, but now there are multiple offers on the table and you need to compete. Disadvantages of Seller Paying Closing Costs If you're using a mortgage loan to pay for the home, your lender will likely order an appraisal, basically assessing the home's value. He markets the home at $310,000, and he gets an offer right away (because he listed with me...) at $300,000. Rather than asking for a seller credit for closing costs, you pay your own closing costs, $8,750, and the remaining $12,250 (3.5% down on an FHA loan) gets your foot in the door. Refinance Calculator. Let’s dig in with a practical example and find out a little more about what closing costs are, which ones you can expect to see as part of your home sale, and which ones you’ll be responsible for paying once your home sells. Seller's aren't dumb. This benefits the buyer, especially if he or she is strapped for cash and could really use the credit. (To learn more about typical closing costs, check here). There are the costs for closing your loan, which are typically things that don't change. Here’s typically what each side of the sale is responsible for: Typical Seller Closing Costs. Many of these buyers don't have the ready cash to pay the closing costs, which typically range from 3% to 6% of the home's purchase price. Inspection failure. If inventory is low, you may need to offer over the asking price of the home to get your offer accepted. Short sale may take 45-90 days to close. If you agree to do so, this will be reflected in your net proceeds. They are happy to pay for closing costs as long as the net they expected is the same. Depending on the situation, this can be a win-win for both sides of the transaction. "The seller is getting the same net! I work hard to stay connected. When the seller pays closing costs, the money to pay those costs comes from the "Sale" of the home. Just expect the seller to counteroffer with a higher home purchase price of … gcse.type = 'text/javascript';   Even experienced homebuyers may also lack the liquidity to pay closing costs that can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, especially after they've made a 20% down payment on a conventional mortgage. o how does it work when you ask the seller to ‘pay’ for those costs on your behalf? // ]]>, Heisler & Mattson Properties182 Turnpike Road, STE 209, Please enable Javascript to comment on this blog. This post is long overdue. So those buyers might also ask the seller for We are willing to lose this deal, but would prefer not to. If the homeSee Original Article COVID-19 Impact: Digital Print Label Market…Read more Disadvantages of Seller Paying Closing Costs › They can do basic math. You’re a shoo-in, right? Real Estate Contracts and Escalation Clauses, Spring Real Estate Newsletter 2020 Heisler & Mattson Properties, Milford, MA Home Sales and Real Estate Market Report (May 2020). Not only are you having to finance much more, raising your monthly payment, the overall interest paid, and the total cash out of your pocket in the end, but the seller is taking a huge risk as well. This is a good option as long as you need the cash more than you need to avoid the extra debt. Especially because these closing costs account for 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price! That’s what we’re talking about today, so let’s go! If the home is listed for $250,000 and the buyer wants to offer full-price and asks for the seller to contribute $5,000 towards closing costs, then the buyer would offer $255,000, therefore netting the seller the full asking price of $250,000. Due to the various lending laws and guidelines, there are precious few things that you can "roll" into the mortgage. Now this example is an extreme scenario, but that additional bump to the price that you are offering when requesting the seller to contribute towards closing costs in a competitive market can make a big difference in whether they accept your offer. The extra tax paid on that 3000 is about $13. Usually the buyer pays for most of the closing costs, but there are instances when the seller may have to pay some fees at closing too. When selling a 300-600K house, $13 isn't a big deal. So how does it work when you ask the seller to ‘pay’ for those costs on your behalf? They also include things that can change a lot depending on WHEN you close: pre-paid taxes, pre-paid mortgage, pre-paid insurance, and things of that nature. But you can, generally, roll closing costs in, so most buyers would be wise to take advantage of this financial tactic. We were thinking of countering with $439. See, that was easy, the seller just paid for your closing costs! However, buyers are not the only party that must pay fees at closing. An experienced real estate agent, tax advisor, or attorney is a seller’s best bet when it comes to getting an accurate idea of how much they’ll pay in closing costs. Matt Heisler, //