Can’t blame you for being cautious—too many lenders sneak in “processing” or “origination” fees at the last minute. I always tell folks, if the numbers suddenly change at closing, that’s a red flag. Transparency should be non-negotiable, especially with credit challenges.
That’s exactly what happened to me the first time I tried to refinance—numbers kept shifting, and suddenly there was a $900 “document fee” I’d never heard about. I walked away. If they can’t be upfront, what else are they hiding? Learned to read every line after that…
Honestly, I get the frustration, but hidden fees aren’t always a red flag for shady lenders. Sometimes it’s just sloppy communication or the broker not being thorough. I’ve had legit deals where surprise fees popped up—just had to push back and negotiate them down. It’s annoying, but not always a dealbreaker.
I get what you’re saying, but I dunno… hidden fees always make me nervous. Last time I bought, there was a “processing fee” that popped up at closing—nobody mentioned it before. Maybe not shady, but definitely felt sneaky. I’d rather have everything out in the open from the start.
That “processing fee” is the classic ninja move—sneaks up right at the end. I totally get your frustration. Have you ever tried asking for a full fee breakdown upfront? Some lenders are surprisingly transparent if you push a little. Just curious, did you end up negotiating any of those fees down, or were they non-negotiable in your case?
