Totally agree—those “little” fees can sneak up on you fast. I’ve had deals where the closing costs ballooned way past what was quoted, just from random line items. One thing I’m always curious about: has anyone actually gotten a lender to break down every single fee and justify them? Sometimes I push back and they’ll drop or reduce a charge, but other times they just say it’s “standard.” Wondering if folks in Dallas are seeing more flexibility lately, or if lenders are digging in their heels?
Yeah, those “miscellaneous” fees are the worst—title, processing, courier, you name it. I’ve definitely had lenders in Dallas break things down line by line when I pressed hard enough, but it’s hit or miss. Some will shave off a few hundred bucks if you push back on vague charges, but others just won’t budge and claim it’s all “industry standard.” Honestly, I’ve noticed a bit more flexibility with smaller local lenders lately compared to the big banks. Maybe they’re feeling the competition? Either way, never hurts to ask for that breakdown in writing... sometimes just seeing it on paper makes them rethink what they’re charging.
Had a lender try to charge me a “document review” fee once—like, aren’t you supposed to read the docs anyway? I pushed back and poof, it disappeared. Local folks seem way more willing to negotiate, probably ‘cause they know word gets around.
Had a client get hit with a “processing” fee once that was basically just a renamed admin charge. We laughed about it—like, what are they processing, my patience? I always tell folks, if something on the estimate looks weird or you don’t understand it, just ask. Sometimes those fees are legit, but a lot of times they’re just... creative ways to pad the bottom line.
You’re right about local lenders being more flexible. In Dallas, word-of-mouth is everything. If someone feels like they got nickel-and-dimed, it spreads fast. I’ve seen lenders drop fees or throw in perks just to keep folks happy. Doesn’t always work with the big national guys, though—those folks have scripts and quotas and not much wiggle room.
Funny how just questioning a fee can make it vanish. Makes you wonder how many people just pay without realizing they could push back.
Totally agree—questioning those random fees is a must. I’ve had lenders try to sneak in “document prep” or “courier” charges that made zero sense. Why pay for something if you don’t even know what it is? It’s wild how fast they’ll drop a fee if you just ask about it. Makes me wonder how much extra people end up paying just because they don’t want to rock the boat. Local folks definitely seem more willing to work with you, though. Maybe it’s that Dallas reputation thing... nobody wants to be the lender everyone warns their friends about.
