Funny thing is, sometimes they’ll drop a fee the second you call them out, which just makes me wonder what else is padded in there.
Right? If a “courier fee” vanishes faster than my willpower at an open house with cookies, I start side-eyeing the whole quote. Here’s my quick gut-check: 1) If I can’t get a straight answer about what a fee covers, that’s a red flag. 2) If the lender gets weirdly defensive or tries to guilt-trip me for asking questions, I’m out. 3) And if the numbers don’t add up after a second look, I trust my calculator over their charm every time. Sometimes it’s not just the fees—it’s the vibe.
Totally get what you mean about the “vibe”—I’ve had a couple lenders who seemed annoyed when I asked about random fees, and it just made me want to walk away. I’m new to all this, so I probably ask more questions than most, but if someone can’t explain a charge in plain English, that’s a dealbreaker for me. Did you ever have one try to talk you into a fee by saying “everyone pays it”? That line always makes me suspicious...
if someone can’t explain a charge in plain English, that’s a dealbreaker for me.
Same here. I’ve been through the process a few times and I always:
- Ask for a full itemized list of fees, then compare it line by line with other lenders.
- Had one guy try to brush off a “processing fee” by saying, “Everyone pays it.” Nope. I dug in and found another lender who didn’t charge it at all.
- If they get defensive or vague, that’s a red flag for me. I’d rather lose a little time than get stuck with junk fees.
Honestly, if they can’t be transparent up front, what’s it going to be like if there’s an issue later?
If I see “miscellaneous fee” or “admin charge” and they can’t tell me what it’s for, I’m out. Had a lender once try to explain a “courier fee” in the age of email… yeah, no thanks. If it smells fishy, it probably is.
Totally get what you mean about those random fees. I had one lender tack on a “processing fee” that was almost $500, but when I pressed for details, they just mumbled something about “internal paperwork.” If they can’t explain it in plain English, why should I pay it? I always ask for a full breakdown—if they start dodging, that’s my cue to walk. Ever notice how the more vague the fee, the higher it is? Makes me wonder what else they’re hiding.
