Yeah, those fees can feel like they come out of nowhere, and honestly, some of them are just non-negotiable with certain lenders. I’ve seen folks get a little knocked off here and there, but if your credit’s on the lower end, they know you don’t have a ton of options. One thing I’d add—sometimes you can at least get a breakdown of what each fee is for. Every now and then, you’ll spot something that doesn’t make sense or seems padded, and you can call it out. Doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a shot. Just gotta be careful not to get tunnel vision on the fees and miss the bigger picture, like the rate or the loan terms.
Honestly, I’ve run into this exact thing on a couple deals. The first time I bought a fixer-upper, I remember thinking, "Where did half these charges even come from?" Like you said,
I actually found a weird admin fee that didn’t add up and got it knocked off, but they wouldn’t budge on the rest. Still, I’ve learned the hard way not to get too hung up on a $200 fee if the interest rate or prepayment penalty is a bigger hit in the long run. Sometimes you just gotta pick your battles.“sometimes you can at least get a breakdown of what each fee is for.”
Yeah, those random fees can be sneaky. I always ask for a full itemized list and compare it to what’s standard in my area—sometimes lenders tack on “processing” or “courier” charges that are just fluff. But you’re right, the big stuff like interest rates or prepayment penalties can cost way more over time. I still get hung up on the little fees sometimes, though… hard not to when every dollar counts.
