Honestly, I’ve seen those “processing” fees balloon for no real reason—sometimes it’s just a line item to see if you’ll notice. Pushing back is smart. I’ve had clients get fees knocked down just by asking for a breakdown or threatening to walk. Credit unions can be better, but even they sneak in odd charges now and then. It’s all about reading the fine print... tedious, but it pays off.
I once had a client who thought “origination fee” was just a fancy way of saying “we want more of your money.” Turns out, sometimes it is. We called the lender’s bluff, asked for a full breakdown, and—surprise—they shaved off a few hundred bucks. It’s wild how often just asking “what’s this for?” makes fees magically shrink. Has anyone ever actually gotten a fee *increased* after questioning it? I’m half convinced they just make these numbers up as they go...
Never had a fee go up after pushing back, but I've definitely seen them melt away once you start asking for receipts. Sometimes I wonder if they just throw numbers at the wall and see who notices. It's wild how much is negotiable—makes you think twice about just accepting the paperwork as-is. Good call on challenging it... a lot of folks don’t even realize they can.
Yeah, you’d be surprised how much of that stuff is just “let’s see if they notice.” I’ve had clients come back to me shocked after I told them to question a random “processing fee” or whatever. Sometimes it disappears, sometimes it gets cut in half. Lenders and title companies know most people just sign without reading every line. Always pays to push back a little—worst case, they say no, but you’d be amazed how often they fold.
Lenders and title companies know most people just sign without reading every line. Always pays to push back a little—worst case, they say no, but you’d be amazed how often they fold.
That’s been my experience too, though I still wonder how much is just “padding” versus actual cost. I’ve had lenders try to sneak in doc prep fees or “courier charges” that made zero sense—like, who’s even using couriers anymore? Sometimes I’ll ask them to break down every single fee, and suddenly half of them are “negotiable.” Makes you question what else is up for debate.
But here’s something I’m not totally sure about: when you push back on these fees, do you think it ever affects the rate they offer? Like, if you’re a squeaky wheel, do they quietly bump your rate somewhere else to make up for it? Or am I just being paranoid? I always try to keep things friendly but firm... just never know if there’s a hidden cost for being too sharp-eyed.
Curious if anyone’s ever tracked that over multiple deals. Sometimes feels like a shell game.
