What you actually need
at the closing table.

Lender fees cover the work of underwriting your loan, origination, application, processing, credit report. Typically ~1% of the loan amount, sometimes negotiable.

Title insurance protects both you + the lender against undiscovered claims on the property. Premium is set by state regulation in most places + paid once at closing. Two policies (lender + owner) are typical; a financing buyer pays the lender's, and who pays the owner's varies by county and contract.

Transfer tax / doc stampsis the biggest state-by-state variance, and who pays it is set by custom and by your contract. Florida's deed stamps (0.7% of the price) are customarily paid by the seller; a financing buyer pays the stamps and intangible tax on the mortgage. New York charges a buyer-paid "mansion tax" of 1% of the full price on a home of $1M or more; New Jersey moved its equivalent onto the seller in July 2025. Texas charges nothing.

Inspection + appraisalcover the third-party assessments lenders require. Inspection ($350-700) is for your protection; appraisal ($400-700) is for the lender's. Both are paid before closing, not at the table, but they're cash you need.

Pre-paid escrow seeds your tax + insurance escrow account so the lender can pay these on your behalf. Typically 2-3 months of each, paid at closing.

Recording fees + small chargesare the long tail, survey, deed prep, courier, notary, wire fee. Usually $500-1,500 combined.