Title: Thinking about refinancing my VA mortgage, curious what others are doing
Honestly, sometimes it pays to push back a little or ask what’s negotiable... not all fees are set in stone.
That’s spot on. I’ve seen folks just accept the first fee sheet they get, and honestly, that’s where lenders make a killing. I remember working with a client last year—he was quoted almost $1,200 in “miscellaneous” fees from his first lender. He sent me the breakdown and half of it was stuff like “courier fee” and “admin review.” We called them out on it, and suddenly those charges disappeared. It’s wild how much is up for negotiation if you just ask.
But here’s the thing—sometimes people get so focused on shaving off every last dollar in fees that they miss the bigger picture. I’ve seen lenders offer to waive fees but then quietly bump up the rate by an eighth of a percent. Over the life of a 30-year loan, that can cost way more than a few hundred bucks upfront. It’s all about looking at the full package, not just the line items.
Curious if anyone here has actually gotten a lender to match another’s offer? Or maybe even had luck getting credits toward closing costs? I’ve had clients bring me competing offers and sometimes we can match or beat them, but not always. There are limits to what can be cut without someone eating the cost.
Also, with VA loans specifically, there are some fees that just can’t be waived because of federal guidelines—but there’s still wiggle room on things like lender credits or third-party charges. Has anyone run into pushback when trying to negotiate those? Sometimes title companies are less flexible than lenders themselves.
Just wondering how aggressive folks have gotten with negotiating these days... seems like lenders are hungrier for business now than they were even six months ago.
Funny you mention title companies being less flexible—I’ve run into that brick wall more than once. Had a situation last fall where the lender was willing to eat a chunk of their origination fee, but the title folks wouldn’t budge on their “settlement” fee. They acted like it was written in stone, even when I pointed out competitors down the street were charging $400 less for the same paperwork shuffle. Sometimes I wonder if they just bank on people not shopping around.
I do get a little skeptical when I see lenders offering “no cost” refis too. Usually means they’re padding the rate somewhere else, just like you said. It’s easy to get tunnel vision on upfront savings and miss what you’re paying over time.
Curious—has anyone actually gotten a title company to negotiate? Or is that just a lost cause these days? Every time I try, I feel like I’m haggling over the price of bottled water at an airport...
Every time I try, I feel like I’m haggling over the price of bottled water at an airport...
That’s a perfect analogy. I’ve tried my luck a couple times, and the best I got was a “courtesy discount” of about $50—hardly worth the effort. One time, the agent actually laughed and said, “We don’t negotiate, but you’re welcome to check elsewhere.” It really does feel like they know most folks won’t go through the hassle of switching last minute. I wish there was more transparency in those fees, but here we are.
I totally get what you mean about the “courtesy discount”—it’s like they’re just tossing you a bone so you feel like you tried. When I started looking into refinancing, I was honestly shocked at how little wiggle room there was. I figured with all the ads about “no closing costs” and “lowest rates ever,” there’d be more room to negotiate, but nope. The fees are just kind of there, and it feels like you either take it or leave it.
I did end up calling around to a couple different lenders, and weirdly enough, one of the smaller local credit unions actually offered me a better deal than the big guys. It wasn’t a massive difference, but enough to make it worth switching. Still, the process was kind of a pain—lots of paperwork and waiting around. I wish they’d just lay out all the costs upfront instead of making you jump through hoops to find out what you’re really paying.
Anyway, if you haven’t checked with any local places yet, might be worth a shot. Sometimes they’re a little more flexible, or at least more transparent about what’s negotiable.
