What are Closing Costs on Chicago's North Shore?

It may seem surprising, but did you know that the majority of homebuyers today aren't aware of closing costs? You may find that you have prepared for homeownership with your down payment and even have your first month's mortgage ready in your bank account, but this very important set of costs is commonly overlooked. 

As your local real estate agent on Chicago's North Shore, I've included a few key notes on closing costs below so you are better equipped to make the biggest, most important purchase of your life!

What Are Closing Costs?

Closing costs are recurring and non-recurring fees connected to both your lender and other parties in the sale—for instance, an attorney, inspector and title company—and are to be paid upfront at the closing table. Unless you have financed them ahead of time or worked your offer to arrange for the seller to pick up the tab, unfortunately there is no way around these costs.

Closing costs typically include:

• Homeowners insurance
• Title insurance
• Loan origination
• Home inspection
• Appraisal
• Document prep
• Property line survey
• Title search and recording
• Loan underwriting
• Wire transfer

How Much Will They Cost?

Closing costs tend to range between two and five percent of the total purchase price of the home. 

How Can You Prepare?

It is true that you may not know how much you will owe in closing costs until you find a home in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities and meet with a lender, but you can still gather a general idea based on your price range alone. For instance, with a budget for a new home around $150,000, you can expect to pay between $3,000 and $7,500 in closing costs.

Once you've met with your lender on the North Shore, you can estimate how much you will owe in closing costs given your loan product, loan amount and the interest rate you are offered. You can use a mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly payment and how that will fluctuate depending on if you've decided to finance the closing costs into it. 

Give me a call today to get started on your North Shore home search or with any questions you have about buying a home in today's market.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
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Local Expert... with National Connections!

Who Pays Closing Costs on Chicago's North Shore?

You've found your dream home on Chicago's North Shore, you've estimated your mortgage, and now it's time to go to the closing table. There is one more set of costs to consider before the deal is said and done, but as many local buyers wonder this same question, I'm here to answer— Who pays the closing costs?

The answer is both sides of the real estate transaction pay closing costs. The amount you owe in closing costs can easily be figured based on the mortgage loan amount of the purchase price, but below are a few more important points to note:

Buyers typically have more expenses
The majority of the North Shore buyer's closing costs stem from the loan. Costs including the appraisal fee, origination fee, credit report fee, recording fee, notary fee, title insurance, prepaid insurance, prepaid interest and the like will all come due at the closing table. To avoid any surprises, ask your lender to go over each expense and how it may affect your loan.

Sellers typically pay more
While buyers in Winnetka, Glencoe, Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield and the surrounding communities may have more expenses outlined in their final closing cost statement, sellers tend to pay more. Why? The seller is often responsible for paying the real estate commission which is based on a percentage of the total sale price of the home.

You can negotiate costs
Just like anything else in a real estate offer, you can always negotiate as there may be some wiggle room with closing costs. For instance, instead of asking for a reduction in the purchase price of the home (which may have very little affect in your overall monthly payment), you can ask for a credit toward closing costs which can allow you to save some of the out-of-pocket expense when the time comes to write that check.

Ready to buy a home on Chicago's North Shore? As your local real estate expert, I am here to guide you through the process! Give me a call today with any questions or for a list of available homes in Winnetka, Glencoe, Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield and the surrounding areas!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!

Locally or across the country, think of me as your national connection. I can help you with all your real estate needs anywhere in the United States.