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Who Is Responsible for Paying Real Estate Fees?

28 Tuesday Sep 2021

Posted by The Hanley Home Team in Uncategorized

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Buying a home, homes for sale in Jacksonville FL, Jacksonville FL Real Estate, Jacksonville Real Estate, low mortgage rates, mortgage loan, real estate, real estate advice, real estate information, Real Estate Team, real estate tips, saving for a home, The best real estate agent in Jacksonville

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When it comes to buying or selling a home, from a financial perspective, there’s more to think about than just the home price. There are a variety of fees associated with a real estate transaction—and, as a buyer or seller, it’s important to understand which of those fees you may be responsible for during the process.

A recent article from realtor.com aimed to clear up the confusion by outlining who covers common real estate fees, including:

  • Agent commission: Real estate agents make a commission off of every home sale; while commissions vary by agent, they’re often a percentage of the total sale price—a percentage that is then split between the buyer’s and seller’s agent. (So, for example, if the commission is 5 percent, 2.5 percent would go to the buyer’s agent, and 2.5 percent would go to the seller’s agent). Generally, the sellers pay this fee when it’s subtracted from the proceeds of their property sale at closing.
  • Closing costs: Closing costs cover a variety of fees (like loan processing, title company, and insurance fees) that are due at closing—and generally run between 2 and 7 percent of the home’s purchase price. Depending on the home sale—and the negotiating skills on either side—these costs may be covered by the buyer, the seller, or a combination of both.

The Takeaway:

So, what does this mean for you? Whether you’re buying or selling a home, if you’re not sure what fees you’re responsible for (or how much those fees will be), talk to your real estate agent. They can give you deeper insights into what fees you’ll be expected to cover—and how much you should set aside to cover those fees during your home purchase or sale.

Give us a call today! We have tips on how to keep more money in your pocket. Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS The Hanley Home Team of Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479 HanleyHomeTeam.com

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Should You Apply for an Online Mortgage?

30 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by The Hanley Home Team in #HanleyHomeTeam, #HomeBuyer, #HomeBuyingTips, #HomeOwner, #HomeSeller, #housegoals, #househunting, #Jacksonville, #JacksonvilleFL, #KellerWilliams, #RealEstate, #Refinance, #sellingyourhome

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Jacksonville FL Real Estate, Jacksonville FL real estate agents, Jacksonville Real Estate, lock-in a good mortgage rate, low mortgage rates, mortgage loan, mortgage rates, real estate, real estate investing, Real Estate Team

A mortgage is a big financial responsibility. Yet, if you’re like half of all home buyers, chances are you won’t shop around for the best mortgage. The result could be the loss of thousands of dollars…both in up front costs and in monthly payments. It pays (a lot) to shop around.

As a home buyer, you have three options for getting a mortgage: a traditional bank, a mortgage broker, and an online mortgage lender. Here’s a quick breakdown of the differences. 

  1. The Traditional Bank

A traditional bank offers in-house loans. You may get better rates and closing costs from your own bank if you’ve banked there a long time. On the other hand, you will only get the rates and terms they dictate, which might be limited. You probably won’t have a lot of choices. It pays to check at other institutions to compare the rates and terms of your bank’s offer. 

  1. A Mortgage Broker

A mortgage broker’s job is to act as your guide to helping you find a mortgage that fits your needs. The broker can shop around to find banks and other sources of funds that are the best rates and terms, based on your credit and income. 

Brokers are usually experienced loan specialists. Unlike big-bank loan officers, brokers will work with you to answer your questions and look for options. If you bring your big bank’s offer to a broker, he or she can compare for you. 

Brokers promote loan products that provide them with a finders’ fee. Since those fees are already built into the loan products (whether to benefit a broker or a bank’s own loan officer costs), you likely won’t see much of those fees passed on to you. 

  1. An Online Mortgage Lender

The great advantage to using an online mortgage lender is that you may get great rates and fees. Online lenders don’t have to cover a lot of overhead, so they can offer discounts to their borrowers through lower rates or closing costs. Even a quarter of a percent lower interest rate can potentially save you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan.

Another advantage is that you don’t need to talk to anyone. How convenient to have a burger, watch TV, and fill out a loan application all at once! Of course, convenience is also a big drawback. 

If you have a question, no matter how small, you won’t be able to get a quick answer, if at all. With online lenders, they will assign someone to work with you (a loan officer). That person has a huge work load and is often fairly inexperienced with nuanced questions. And in my experience, the questions are always nuanced. 

For example, take the question of assets and liabilities. Do you include your child’s college savings account? Is that going to risk you using that account if needed to pay for tuition next month? Should you include the fact that you’re on your nephew’s car loan, even though he’s paid it on his own for years and it’s almost paid off? Is your secret PayPal account going to show up on your assets, even if you don’t want it to?  

So Which Should You Use?

Use at least two sources. Make sure one of them is a mortgage broker. 

The Online Lender: If your situation is relatively straight forward…you have a regular job, a regular pay check, no weird debts or assets, then an online lender can be a great option. Make sure you read about warnings in the section below.

Big Bank or Credit Union: If you have a great relationship already, see if they have special rates and terms for long-time customers. In my experience, you’ll often end up in a situation similar to working with an online lender, because the bank is going to assign a loan officer, who may or may not be able to answer your questions. 

The Mortgage Broker: I highly recommend that one of your comparison points be a mortgage broker. Brokers are usually very experienced and can answer a lot of your questions. They’ll be able to shop around to find loans that might have comparable rates and terms to the ones offered by your bank or online lender. And they’ll let you know if your bank or online lender is a better deal. 

The biggest problem with applying to multiple sources is the fees. You’ll have to fill out the loan application multiple times, and your credit will be pulled multiple times, and you’ll have to pay multiple application and credit report fees. This is the reason most people don’t apply to multiple sources. However, you may be able to do a preliminary application, especially at the online sources.  Find out before completing the application if there are fees.

Warnings about Online Lenders

Most of them are not lenders at all. They might be brokers, they might “non-bank investment companies,” or they might simply be third-party comparison sites. There’s nothing wrong with any of these, but you should know what you’re getting. 

Lendingtree or Bankrate are examples of third-party comparison sites. They won’t give you a loan and can’t tell you which loans are best for you. They’ll simply show you funding sources that they have affiliate agreements with. You may find this useful for comparing different lender rates. Google “Mortgage Comparison Websites”.

Most online lenders are non-bank investment outlets. Quicken Loans or Meridian are examples. They’ll process your application and fund the loan using large institutional investor funds. They’ll likely sell your mortgage as part of a package of loans to other investors. There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s very common in the mortgage world. Before filling out any online mortgage application, check on the site’s credentials. You don’t want to start giving financial information online without vetting them first. Google “Non-Bank Mortgage Lenders”.

A few of the online lenders are in fact mortgage brokers, such as Intellimortgage. You’re simply filling out a loan application in advance, and they’ll consult with you to find you the best mortgage. I’d personally rather meet with a mortgage broker in person or talk by phone, rather than using an online mortgage broker. It’s just easier to get answers from a live person. Google “local mortgage brokers in (your location)”. Find a live person to talk to.

And of course, big banks like HBSC and Chase are online, too, so when you get a list of options from LendingTree or you Google “online mortgage,” there’s a very good chance you’ll simply be getting a bank. Double check whether the name of the company you’re shown in any online search or list is a bank, a non-bank, or a broker. 

Will Applying Ruin My Credit? 

It’s true that applying for credit can lower your credit score. However, when applying for mortgage loans for comparison purposes 2-3 times, your credit score will likely not be affected. Even if it is, it’ll usually only drop a little and only after you’ve already applied. If your score drops, a simple explanation that you were comparing lenders will suffice and your original rate at the time of application will stand.

Ask us for some recommendations for mortgage brokers in our area! Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com 904-515-2479 Team@HanleyHomeTeam.com

Can I Buy Again? I Had a Short Sale A Few Years Ago.

02 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by The Hanley Home Team in Uncategorized

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buying after a short sale, Can I buy now after a short sale, low mortgage rates, rent vs. buy

This month we’ll be reaching out to friends and clients who were swept up in the real estate downturn to check in and see how they’re doing. Many have been in touch recently about the possibility of returning to home ownership.

You might have some of the same questions they have. For instance: Can I get a mortgage? Have home values stabilized? Is it possible to buy again for what I’m paying in rent now? How can I be sure I won’t end up in the same situation?

The truth is, many people who lost their homes as little as two years ago may already be in a good position to buy again. Home prices and fixed-rate mortgage rates are quite favorable. There are many excellent homes on the market which can easily fit in a budget accustomed to current rents. Plus, it’s cheaper to buy than to rent in our area.

If you’re thinking about returning to home ownership, we’d be happy to answer questions you might have, and even connect you with trustworthy lenders who can help you navigate pre-qualification for an affordable home.

Why continue to tolerate the hassles of renting if you can transition back to a home of your own? Perhaps it’s time to say goodbye to absentee landlords, long waits for maintenance requests, and loud neighbors.

If you’d like to stop dreaming about it and start doing something about it instead, let’s have a conversation and see what we can do together to get you back on track for your own home. Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS 904-422-7626 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com

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