- Processing fees are like the “service charge” of the mortgage world—sometimes negotiable, sometimes not, depending on the lender’s mood that day.
- I’ve seen folks knock off $100 here or there just by asking. Doesn’t hurt to try, especially if you’re comparing offers.
- Admin fees? Half the time I think they’re just charging us for printing paper. If it looks fishy or redundant, push back.
- Worst case, they say no... best case, you save a few bucks for your moving pizza.
Funny thing, I’ve actually had lenders refuse to budge on fees, even when I had competing offers in hand. Maybe it depends on the market or how busy they are? I do think it’s worth asking, but sometimes they just won’t move. Anyone ever see a lender actually waive admin fees entirely? That’s one I’ve never pulled off, no matter how much I pushed.
Anyone ever see a lender actually waive admin fees entirely? That’s one I’ve never pulled off, no matter how much I pushed.
You’re not alone there. In my experience, admin fees are almost always “non-negotiable”—at least that’s what they’ll tell you. Sometimes you can get them to lower the origination or processing fees a bit, but a total waiver is rare. It really does seem to depend on how competitive the market is and how motivated the lender feels. Still, asking never hurts... every now and then you get a surprise.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually seen admin fees get waived a couple of times—though it’s definitely not the norm. Usually, it happens with smaller local lenders or credit unions, especially if you’re bringing in multiple deals or have a strong relationship with them. The big banks? Yeah, they’ll stick to their “non-negotiable” line all day.
admin fees are almost always “non-negotiable”—at least that’s what they’ll tell you.
That’s true for most folks, but I think a lot depends on timing and leverage. For example, during slow periods (like late fall or around the holidays), I’ve found lenders more willing to make exceptions just to keep business moving. Once, I was refinancing two properties at once and basically told the lender I’d walk unless they dropped all the junk fees—admin included. They caved on one property but not the other, which was weird, but it shows there’s sometimes wiggle room.
Also, some lenders will quietly offset the admin fee by lowering your rate or giving a lender credit elsewhere in the closing costs breakdown. It’s not a “waiver” on paper, but it amounts to the same thing out of pocket.
Curious if anyone else has tried leveraging pre-approvals from competing lenders? That’s worked for me a few times—not always for admin fees specifically, but for getting something knocked off the total cost. It’s a bit of a hassle but can pay off if you’re persistent.
Bottom line: yeah, waivers are rare, but not impossible. It really comes down to how much leverage you have and whether the lender thinks you’ll actually walk away. Sometimes just being stubborn pays off...
I’ve actually had some luck getting admin fees reduced, but it always took a bit of legwork. For folks trying to cut costs, here’s what worked for me: first, I got detailed loan estimates from at least three lenders, then I’d compare the fees line by line. If one lender quoted lower admin or processing fees, I’d just show that to the others and ask if they could match or beat it. Sometimes they’d budge, sometimes not, but it was worth a shot.
One thing I’m curious about—has anyone ever tried pushing back on the appraisal or credit report fees? I never had much luck there, but maybe I just wasn’t asking at the right time...