Home prices may be falling in Florida, but buyers still have to fork over more cash than those in every state but one to close a deal, according to a study from Bankrate.com.
Only Texas charges more in origination, title and closing costs than Florida, the study shows.
Buyers of Florida homes are charged an average of $3,368. In Texas, it's $3,655. The figures are based on a $200,000 mortgage.
"Consumers need to keep a lookout for the standard fees when figuring out the true cost of their new home," said Holden Lewis, senior reporter with Bankrate.com. "Even as the average closing costs go down across the nation, some of these surprise costs can make your new home deal more expensive than you initially thought."
Nationwide, the average origination and title fees on a $200,000 mortgage this year totaled $2,732, down from $3,118 in 2008.
The least expensive state to close a deal is Nevada, where the combined fees total $2,276, according to the study.
The study includes New York City, which, if included in the list, would rank No. 2 behind Texas in the cost of closing a home deal.
Bankrate requested fees on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for a borrower with a 20 percent down payment and good credit. The fees are based on single-family homes. At least four lenders were surveyed in each state.
Ron Donalson, a principal with Tampa's Alday-Donalson Title Agencies of America, said Bankrate.com's numbers sound high.
"In most of the deals we're closing now, sellers are paying the closing costs," Donalson said. "And you have to remember, in states that use attorneys for closings, buyers have lawyer fees to pay on top of the other fees."
Bankrate.com says it only includes lawyer fees that are required by the lender.
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