The Hidden Costs of Buying a House

If you’re sick of renting, you might be considering a home purchase. After all, mortgages tend to be cheaper than paying rent — so why doesn’t everyone just stop renting and buy a home? The truth is that buying a house isn’t just a matter of paying the mortgage every month. There are all kinds of hidden costs of buying a home. Today we’ll help you sort them all out.  One of the top draws to homeownership, among many, is the fact that mortgage payments are often much less expensive than rent. However, just because a mortgage payment is less than your current rent does not necessarily mean that buying a home would be cheaper. There are numerous costs to consider when deciding to buy a new home. Loan origination fee To start, there will be a loan origination fee whenever you take out a mortgage. This is what you pay the lender for doing the work involved with making the loan. Because this fee can be a large one and it is required to be paid upfront to your lender, it’s important that you figure this origination fee into your total cost calculations. Although the exact amount you pay can vary based on the amount of your mortgage loan and the specific lender with which you work, you can expect to pay between .5 percent and 1 percent of the total value of your mortgage to cover this fee. Working with a real estate agent If you choose to consult a real estate agent, you’ll have to pay that person’s fee, as well. Not all agents have your best interests at heart — the more you pay for your home, the bigger their fee. Hiring a real estate agent is not the right choice for everyone, and you should consider your specific circumstances before moving forward. If you want to minimize your home buying costs as much as possible, and you feel confident in your ability to navigate the real estate market in which you’d like to buy, you may be just fine without an agent. On the other hand, if you are not well versed in buying real estate and you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the process, it can be well worth it to work with an agent. The amount you will have to pay toward a real estate agent’s fee can be tough to calculate. In most cases, the home’s seller is on the hook to pay the fee of both his or her agent and the agent of the buyer. You will still see this fee, although it will likely be absorbed into the listing price of the home. While you won’t be able to avoid the ultimate cost, you can make sure that you get your money’s worth by working with a reputable agent. Be sure to ask for references, read reviews online and check any relevant credentials of an agent before you hire someone. Insurance fees Another one of the commonly overlooked costs associated with homeownership comes in the form of insurance fees. Renters insurance is a relatively inexpensive form of coverage that you might not even need to cover, depending on where you live.  When you purchase a home, however, you sign up for several new insurance requirements.  You will be buying lots of different kinds of insurance, including title insurance, homeowners’ insurance and (possibly) additional flood insurance. None of them are break-the-bank expensive, but they can add up in the long run. Homeowners’ insurance may cost you upwards of $1,000 annually, although this amount can be much more depending on the extent of your coverage and where you purchase your home.  As we mentioned above, you may have to spring for additional insurance coverage if you live in a flood or natural disast... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices