Sometimes they’d just drop it, no questions asked.
That’s wild to me. It really makes you wonder how many folks just pay those “standard” fees without a second thought. I had a similar situation with a “processing fee”—they couldn’t explain it, either. Have you ever actually gotten pushback when you questioned a charge, or did they just quietly remove it each time? I always wonder if there’s a risk of them getting annoyed and making the process harder, or if that’s just paranoia.
Also, did you notice any fees that were legit but just sounded sketchy? Sometimes I see things like “flood certification” and think it’s bogus, but then it turns out to be a real thing. Curious how you figured out which ones were worth fighting and which ones were standard, even if they sounded weird.
I always wonder if there’s a risk of them getting annoyed and making the process harder, or if that’s just paranoia.
I had the same worry, but honestly, every time I pushed back on a weird fee, they just took it off—no drama. Maybe I got lucky? The “flood certification” one threw me too, but turns out it’s actually required for most loans. My rule was: if they couldn’t explain it in plain English, I questioned it. Sometimes you just have to ask and see what happens... worst case, they say no.
Yeah, I’ve found that most brokers just want to close the deal, so they’ll drop junk fees if you call them out. Not everything’s negotiable—like that flood cert—but plenty is. If they get annoyed, that’s a red flag anyway.
Totally agree, calling out those random fees can save you a chunk. I remember one broker tried to sneak in a “processing fee” and just dropped it when I questioned it. If they get weird about it, I’d walk too. No deal’s worth that stress.
Yeah, those “processing fees” are wild—like, what are they even processing? My last broker tried to tack on a “document review” charge. I just asked, “Isn’t that your job?” and suddenly it disappeared. Makes me wonder how many people just pay without asking. Do you ever feel like half these fees are just made up on the spot? I’m all for paying for real work, but I’m not funding someone’s lunch.
