Buying a home requires a little more than the typical price tag of the house. Furthermore, as part of the payments you make as an investor, the closing costs in Kosciusko Lake Area are integral.
On a good day, the real estate attorneys and other stakeholders must have performed immense services along the way.
Therefore, the closing costs cover the charges for all their rendered services up to the stage of closing the real estate transaction.
What are Closing Costs?
The closing costs refer to the additional costs or expenses you incur above the property price.
Moreover, both the seller and the buyer should cover the total cost expended on a property. In other words, this step is essential to closing the real estate transaction.
Some of the additional costs that may come under the closing costs include
- Origination fees
- Discount points
- Appraisal fees
- Taxes
- Title searches
- Title insurance
- Deed recording fees
- Credit report charges
- Surveys
- Other related fees
Meanwhile, the lender gets to see all these costs clearly in a loan estimate form to obtain a loan.
At the same time, the closing costs are due for payment when the title of a property is transferred to the buyer.
Within three days of closing the deal, the lender presents the closing disclosure form that contains the closing costs.
How much are the Closing Costs?
The actual costs that a buyer is required to pay depend on several factors. One of such factors is the location of the property.
In this case, in Kosciusko County, Indiana, closing costs are usually between 3 to 6% of the home price.
In other words, if a house costs $100,000, you can expect to pay between $3,000 and $6,000.
Other factors influencing the closing costs include the property’s value, the mortgage lender, and loan type.
In 2019, ClosingCorp conducted a survey that shows that the Northeast district has the highest average closing costs. Examples include
- The district of Columbia – $25,800
- Delaware – $13,273
- New York – $12,847
- Washington State – $12,406
- Pennsylvania – $10,076
However, according to the findings, Indiana has one of the lowest average closing costs in the US, about $1,809. Other parts with low average closing costs include
- Kentucky – $2,276
- Iowa – $2,194
- South Dakota – $2,159
- Montana – $2,063
Importance of Closing Costs
First-time investors and homebuyers often wonder why they have to pay closing costs in addition to the property price.
If you already made a deposit and a mortgage payment, why should you bother paying closing costs?
Understanding closing costs involves getting the whole picture of the long process of a home purchase in Kosciusko.
Apart from the time and effort that this process requires, it also involves many players and stakeholders.
At the same time, the process also attracts some other logistics such as inspection at different levels. In addition to these costs, there are additional fees that accrue to closing costs, including taxes.
In the next section, we will look at the vital components of closing costs.
Components or Type of Closing Costs in the Kosciusko Lake Area
Your closing disclosure must list all the items that accumulate as the closing costs. Each of these fees is the legally approved expense a buyer pays.
Remember that these fees are standard and should reflect on your closing disclosure.
1. Attorney fee
The home purchase involves a lot of legal processes, filing, and documentation. Therefore, the real estate attorney also charges his fees to prepare and review your home purchase terms and contract.
However, the attorney fees depend on each state of the home location. And for Indiana, each party is responsible for their attorney’s fees.
2. Closing fee
Another name for this closing fee is the escrow fees, which refers to the paid fees to the party that handles the final closing.
The party could be an escrow company, an attorney, a title company, or any of the other parties, depending on the state laws of Indiana.
3. Courier fee
The courier fee covers the cost of moving paper documents from one place to another for processing.
However, when using digital processing for correspondence, you may be able to avoid paying courier fees.
4. Credit report fee
This fee is due when pulling your credit report from the three central bureaus in the US.
While this fee is essential, some lenders may take care of it because they have a pre-existing relationship with credit reporting agencies.
5. Flood determination and monitoring fee
Another integral part of your property acquisition is to determine if the property is not susceptible to flood.
A certified flood inspector does the job while issuing flood insurance that is separate from the homeowners’ insurance policy.
This fee also covers ongoing property observation in case of changes that may affect its flood status.
6. Homeowners’ association transfer fee
Each community within the Kosciusko Lake area has a homeowners association for any bought property.
Therefore, a new owner must pay a transfer fee for a change of ownership, including documentation costs.
Check out the details of this condition in the contract before you sign them off conclusively. Ask the seller for documentation that shows the HOA status of the property.
This document must show the financial statements, minutes and notices, covenants, conditions, and restrictions.
Verifying this document is a means of ensuring that the property you are buying has a good financial standing.
7. Homeowners Insurance
At closing, the buyer should prepay the homeowners’ insurance premium for the first year. This payment is usually a vital part of the equation of buying a home.
8. Paint Inspection fees
Another fee you may have to pay for is a lead-based paint inspection by a certified inspector. Any home built before 1979 may contain lead-based paint, which is hazardous for use in the house. This inspection may cost about $300.
9. Owner’s Title Insurance
A new owner must obtain an owner’s title insurance as a policy that secures your ownership of the property. Perhaps, in the future, someone challenges your right of ownership of the home.
This fee is optional but comes highly recommended by real estate experts. In addition, it usually ranges between 0.5 to 1% of the purchase price of the home.
10. Property tax
Closing costs also include any pro-rata property tax due from the date of closing till the end of the year. Besides, the property tax is an essential part of closing costs when purchasing a home in the Kosciusko Lake area.
11. Recording fee
The city or county clerk office may charge you for recording fees, which cover the official processing of property records. In addition, the local recording office in Indiana may not charge you above $125.
12. Survey fee
The survey fee is an integral part of your closing costs of a new property in the Kosciusko lake area.
Meanwhile, a surveying company confirmed the boundary lines and shared fences of a property to ensure it is correct.
Depending on the size of the property, this fee may be between $300 and $500.
13. Title search fee
The title company also helps you verify that there are no ownership discrepancies in the public property records.
Also, this fee covers the research for any ownership dispute or existing property liens.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Closing Costs
Your closing disclosure must list all the items that accumulate as the closing costs. Each of these fees is the legally approved expense a buyer pays.
Remember that these fees are standard and should reflect on your closing disclosure.
What primary cities are in Kosciusko?
The principal city in Kosciusko County is Warsaw, which serves as the county seat above twelve towns.
Meanwhile, the other cities are Burket, Claypool, Etna Green, Leesburg, Mentone, Milford, and North Webster. Others include Pierceton, Sidney, Silver Lake, Syracuse, and Winona Lake.
What is the median home price?
Presently, Kosciusko has a median home value of $183,940, while the median household income is about $58,402.
Are there tax incentives on property taxes in Kosciusko County?
Indiana offers several tax incentives to homeowners, such as corporate tax rate reduction to 4.9%. In addition, the state of Indiana has no gross inventory tax or receipts tax.
As a result, the state attempts to promote new job creation and improve the standard of living for residents.
Meanwhile, you can contact Susan Engelberth, the Kosciusko County tax assessor, for more details on the county’s property taxes.
Her office is at 100 West Centre Street, Warsaw, Indiana, 46580, while her phone number is (574) 372-2310.
Who pays closing costs in Kosciusko Lake Area?
Both the seller and buyer pay closing costs, but the more significant portion belongs to the buyer.
Meanwhile, as you approach the closing stages, you can seek seller concessions on some fees under his control.
What closing costs do I need in Kosciusko?
Some of the essential fees under closing costs include origination fees, discount points, insurance, and taxes.
Can I negotiate the closing costs?
Yes, closing costs are negotiable, but you may need the help of a negotiator or a real estate agency.
Moreover, if you are applying for a mortgage, you can roll your closing costs into your overall mortgage dues.
Do I have to pay for real estate agency representation?
Any commission that a real estate agency charges are the seller’s responsibility, except you, get one yourself.
Meanwhile, having your agent present at negotiations is a welcome idea to give you an edge.
How to Reduce Closing Costs
There are several simple ways to reduce closing costs, such as
- Comparing prices of two or more lenders over accrued fees that amount to the closing costs. If you do thorough research, you may be able to save some money
- Schedule your property closing towards the month-end to reduce prepaid daily interest charges.
- Compare the details of the closing disclosure forms to the loan estimate to fine-tune some details. Ask questions wherever you need clarification, and watch out for subtle additions.
- Negotiate any flexible or non-mandatory fee
Conclusion
It is time to take action on purchasing your own home in the Kosciusko Lake Area with attractive properties.
Meanwhile, the closing costs are no reason to pull back as many of the fees are negotiable with the seller.
Moreover, beyond the closing costs, you can contact us to help you figure out any other issues concerning the Kosciusko Lake area.
Let us find your dream home today through our up-to-date profiling and enjoy your stay.