A study released by Bankrate Inc. has revealed that the costs associated with buying a home may are on the rise. Bankrate's 2010 Closing Costs Survey reveals that the average origination and title fees on a $200,000 mortgage this year totaled $3,741, up from $2,732 in 2009. In the study's geographical breakdown, New York leads the nation at an average fee of $5,623, with Texas, Utah, San Francisco and Los Angeles rounding out the top five. Arkansas is the least expensive area with an average fee of $3,007, replacing Nevada, now number 34, at the bottom of the list.
One of the reasons for such a dramatic rise in the average estimated closing costs across the nation has to do with new regulations implemented in January of this year. When providing a potential borrower a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of costs, regulations now require lenders to provide a Title and Closing Fee estimate within 10 percent of what the final cost will be; in previous years, estimates could fall lower on the spectrum without penalty for the lender.
"The big rise in average closing costs may scare some homebuyers, but it's important to keep things in perspective," said Greg McBride, CFA, senior financial analyst for Bankrate.com. "Increased regulation on lenders' GFEs means more accurate estimates and less expenses popping up for consumers on the back end."
For this study, Bankrate surveyed one area in 49 states, two areas in California (Los Angeles and San Francisco) and the District of Columbia. Researchers picked a ZIP code in some of the largest cities in each state and requested information on the closing costs for at $200,000 loan. They requested fees on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage for a borrower with a 20 percent downpayment and good credit to buy a single-family house. Bankrate's survey includes lenders' origination fees and title and settlement fees, and not taxes or prepaid items.
To view Bankrate's 2010 Closing Costs Survey, click here.
For more information, visit www.bankrate.com.
