What Are Prepaid Costs When Buying a Home
Table of Contents:
How long does it take to buy a house
What do you need to know before buying a house
What are prepaid costs when buying a home
Prepaid Costs vs. Closing Costs
Recording Fees and transfer taxes
How long does it take to buy a house
When buying a house everyone is excited to finish with documentation and have the keys to their new house but it is never that easy! Let’s discuss what prepaid costs are when buying a home and how to calculate prepaid on a mortgage.
The timeline for buying a house depends on many factors. Typically, you can expect closing on a house to take 30 – 45 days. Let’s discuss some of the time-consuming processes in buying a new house.
Buying A House Timeline
- Find a real estate agent [1-2 weeks]
- Get pre-approved for a mortgage [1-3 weeks]
- Choose a Neighborhood and the right house [1 week - 4 months]
- Go to house viewings [1 week - 4 months]
- Make an offer [3-5 days]
What do you need to know before buying a house?
Buying a house is associated with a very high risk because this transaction requires significant financial costs. There are many things to know and consider before planning how fast you can buy a house and move in.
When the decision of buying your dream house is made it is usually to think of ways “how to buy a house fast” but that’s not how it works most of the time. Home buying has fixed stages that can take up a lot of time.
The most important tip to buying a house is by no discussion is checking the technical condition of the house. Otherwise, soon after the move, it turns out that your new family nest is leaking, the basement turns into a pool after every rain, and a crack in the wall is growing at an alarming rate. There are many costs connected with home buying, make sure you consider every tiny detail.
What are prepaid costs when buying a home?
As mentioned above there are many costs connected to buying a house indeed except for the main price of the house! Here are some prepaid house buying costs that you might face.
Let’s see what are prepaid items on a mortgage and find out what are prepaid in closing costs.
Prepaid costs are upfront cash payments made to third parties involved in the process before any down payment. Prepaid costs can include an initial escrow deposit, homeowners insurance premium, real estate property taxes, and mortgage interest. These costs are different from your closing costs.
Lenders will outline these in a loan estimate document once you apply for a mortgage. These fees are required when closing on a home, regardless of whether you sign a mortgage or not,
* The estimations below are approximate and it strictly depends on your region, state and other factors.
An escrow is a legal arrangement in which a third party temporarily holds money or property until a particular condition has been met. It’s used in real estate transactions to protect both the buyer and the seller throughout the home buying process.
Throughout the term of the mortgage, an escrow account will hold funds for taxes and homeowner’s insurance. The deposit shows that you’re serious about purchasing the home.
Amount: Generally, a buyer will deposit 1% to 2% of the purchase price in earnest money, but that amount can be higher depending on your agreement.
Initial homeowner’s insurance
There's no law that requires home insurance. But mortgage lenders do require you to get home insurance coverage before they will agree to finance your home purchase.
Home insurance protects the mortgage lender’s investment by providing the money to repair or rebuild the home if it is damaged or destroyed by a fire, a lightning storm, a tornado, or some other covered event.
Amount: Depending on which state you live in, the average rate of home insurance can range from $781 to $3,383 per year.
Your mortgage interest rate is what it costs you each month to finance your property. It's an amount you must pay to your lender in addition to paying off the amount that you've borrowed. Interest makes up part of your monthly mortgage payment.
Your interest rate is effectively the lender's compensation for letting you use its money to purchase your property. Still wondering if loan fees prepaid costs when buying a home?
Amount: 30-year mortgage rate: 4.91% (strictly depends on the conditions and the region)
Real estate property taxes
Governments use taxes to provide taxpayers with various services, including schools, police, fire, and garbage collection. Property taxes are calculated by applying an assessment ratio to the property’s fair market value.
Your property tax payment is part of the escrow deposit you make when taking out the loan. The lender makes the real estate tax payments to your city or county government from the escrow account. Find more about South Carolina property taxes
Amount: The average effective property tax rate in South Carolina is just 0.55%, with a median annual property tax payment of $980.
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Prepaid Costs vs. Closing Costs
Now that you know what prepaid costs are when buying a home, what about closing costs? Closing costs are what you pay the mortgage lender and various third parties for processing and overseeing the loan. Your closing disclosure statement provides details of each closing cost.
Some closing costs for buyers can include:
Appraisal Fee: This fee pays for the appraisal of the property.
Credit Report Fee: This fee covers the cost of the credit report requested by the lender. This too may already have been paid when you applied for your loan.
Loan Origination Fee: This fee covers the lender's loan-processing costs. The fee is typically one percent of the total mortgage.
Loan Discount: You will pay this one-time charge if you have chosen to pay points to lower your interest rate. Each point you purchase equals one percent of the total loan.
Title Insurance Fees: These fees generally include costs for the title search, title examination, title insurance, document preparation, and other miscellaneous title fees.
Recording Fees and transfer taxes: This expense is charged by most states for recording the purchase documents and transferring ownership of the property.
Buying a home is more complex than most purchases. Never expect them to be easy. One thing you can do is choose a reliable Realtor to work with who can guide you through the processes easier than ever! Here at Matt O’Neill Real Estate we take care of that!
FAQ:
What are prepaid costs?
Prepaid costs are upfront cash payments made to third parties involved in the process before any down payment.
What are prepaid items on a mortgage?
Prepaid costs can include an initial escrow deposit, homeowners insurance premium, real estate property taxes, and mortgage interest. These costs are different from your closing costs.
Is prepaid included in closing costs?
Prepaid costs are different from closing costs. They don’t include closing costs!
Is prepaid the same as escrow?
Escrow accounts are a continuing expense, typically billed monthly by the lender. Prepaid items are one-time charges, paid at the time a real estate transaction is closed or finalized.
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