Ok, let’s talk about “explaining” closing costs. This sometimes falls into a category that is anywhere between non-existent to extremely well. When I bought my first house, I was the buyer who had a non-existent explanation. We don’t want this to happen to you. So stay tuned till we get to the end.
My agent did a good job showing me houses, setting me up with a lender and generally speaking I was pretty happy with the overall experience. This is especially true since she took me from being a renter, which I thought I was going to be forever, to a seriously proud first time home owner. Oh, I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you that the interest rates were at 14.5% back when I took the plunge (so I guess I have just dated myself.) No matter. I was still delighted. I was, however, a little stunned that I had to come up with what was for me, a lot of money to close the deal. Fortunately, I had it, so it wasn’t a total disaster but I would have been a lot happier if I had known about it in advance. Those dollars were earmarked for some renovations I knew I had to make.
In WNY, closing costs can vary significantly. A cash transaction will have fewer costs than a transaction with a mortgage and depending on where you buy, the tax escrows can be dramatically different. On this later point, if they are escrowing taxes for a full year, a $300,000 house in Buffalo will have much lower taxes than one in Clarence or Orchard Park. There could be a difference of anywhere between 5 to $8,000. So a smart buyer, with a good agent, should be prepared to factor these into the overall costs of the purchase. Some people like surprises. In Real Estate, my rule of thumb has always been: There are almost never any GOOD surprises.
Ok, so let’s make life a little easier for you. Click on the handy dandy link right here and then go to page 14.
This is as clear an outline of the closing costs you could incur on your purchase. So forewarned is forearmed. Oh, and here’s a bonus item for you. You might even be able to get the seller to pick up a significant part of these costs for you. You might want to reach out to us and we’ll show you how to do that. WOW! Can we all say, SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS!
The rest of the book is pretty cool too, as it gives you a a perfect map from start to finish. And remember “Husvar as I know, this is your year to buy that house.”
Enjoy.
Author Brendan J. Cunningham is a New York Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, lead of the Platinum Team at HusVar Real Estate, as well as an accomplished writer, Shakespearean trained professional actor, and podcaster.
Start your home search now at www.husvarre.com