Which third-party fees does the seller pay?

No one said that buying a home would necessarily be cheap. Between the mortgage, the down payment, the closing costs, the property insurance...it can add up quickly.

But not every prospective homeowner is aware of third-party fees. These fees are associated with the wide range of tasks that are involved with buying a home, and are included in the closing costs. These third-party services could range from the appraiser to the home inspector to a credit monitor.

In terms of who pays for third-party fees specifically, that varies from state to state and even county to county. The responsibility for certain fees may also be used as a bargaining chip during the homebuying process.

For example, if the home inspection turns up some things that you would like repaired but you don’t want to delay the close of the sale, you might negotiate to have the seller pay the agent’s commission or some other portion of the fees.

Other fees that the seller may be responsible for are:

  • Home warranty premiums
  • Owner’s title insurance premiums
  • Transfer taxes and recording fees
  • Prorated taxes and HOA dues