Home Buyers Face Higher Closing Costs

Julie Schmit  |   August 6, 2013

Rising mortgage rates aren't the only problem house hunters are facing. Closing costs for loan origination and other fees have increased 6 percent in the past year, according to a survey by Bankrate.com.

Borrowers with stellar credit who are making a 20 percent down payment are still forking over an average of $2,402 in closing costs on a $200,000 loan.

The main catalyst for the increase in closing costs is origination fees, which have jumped 8 percent in the past year. Rising interest rates often cause origination fees to go up, too. Lenders are also having to do more work underwriting loans. Rising mortgage rates often mean lenders make less profit on their loans, so they try to make up for the loss with higher closing fees, Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, told USA Today.

Borrowers should shop around for mortgages because some lenders may offer loans with no origination fees, Cecala said. 

Source: USA Today