I asked the loan officer what it was for, and she just rattled off something about “processing and administrative tasks.” When I pressed for details, it was basically, “Well, that’s just wh...
That “courier service” fee for digital docs gets me every time. I once had a client who was charged $150 for “overnight delivery”—everything was emailed. When we pushed back, the lender just said, “It’s standard.” Like you said, if they can’t explain it, that’s a red flag.
That “standard” line drives me nuts. I get that lenders have to make money, but when they can’t even tell you what you’re paying for, it just feels shady. I remember seeing a “document prep” fee once that was almost $400, and when I asked what exactly they were prepping, the answer was basically, “Well, you know, documents.” Not super reassuring.
Has anyone actually managed to get one of these fees waived, or is it just baked in no matter what? I’ve heard of people negotiating certain charges, but I’ve never had much luck myself. Makes me wonder how much of this stuff is really negotiable, or if it’s just smoke and mirrors to pad the bottom line.