Closing costs can run as high as 6 percent of the sale price of the home, which is certainly a considerable expense. If you're buying a $100,000 home, you could pay $6,000. In reality, these costs vary so widely that it is impossible to give a specific figure. Costs depend on what the lender charges, the customs in your community and your part of the country, what you have already paid before the settlement, and the fees you have negotiated for the seller to pay.

The following sections discuss what fees you might expect to pay before you truly own your home. Note that there are no exact figures listed for most of these charges, because they vary so. The individual fees can range from $25 to several hundred dollars. Not all of the charges may be applicable where you live, either, so do not assume you will be billed for each service listed. You might count on paying somewhere around 2–3 percent of your loan amount. A high estimate of closing costs can approach 6 percent.