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Closing costs Closing costs are the total expenses that the buyer pays at the time a real estate transaction is completed. closing costs generally range between 3 and 6 percent of the home purchase price. With conventional loans, the following closing costs cannot be paid by the Seller for the Buyer: Pre-paid interest, Hazard insurance impounds, or Property tax impounds. | |
Down Payment Money deposited towards the purchase of a home paid to make up the difference between the purchase price and the mortgage amount not finance with a mortgage. The larger the down payment, the less you need to borrow. Most lenders require the down payment to be paid from the buyer's own funds. Gifts from related parties are sometimes acceptable, and must be disclosed to the lender. However, FHA allows gifts from any source. | |
Mortgage A conditional conveyance of property as security for the payment of a debt or the fulfillment of some obligation. Upon payment of the debt or performance of the obligation the mortgage becomes void. | |
Points Points are also called discount points, mortgage points, loan discount points, loan origination fees, or maximum loan charges. Points are prepaid interest assessed at closing by the lender and or the broker. A point is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount. Lenders consider mortgage points as interest that you pay in advance. As a result, the more points you pay when you close the loan, the lower your interest rate. The IRS considers points to be a form of prepaid interest. Discount fees are totally tax deductible for the year the loan is closed for tax purposes, while origination points are tax deductible over two years (half for the year the loan is closed, and half in the year following). | |