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- What Are Netting Escrows & How Does It Work?: The Best Guide - January 2, 2024
- The Secret About Prescriptive Easement: Top Guide 1 Must Know - December 4, 2023
- About Home Equity Loans In Texas And How Can One Obtain It - November 27, 2023
About Mortgage Recording Fees
There are quite a few costs involved that are a requirement as part of the loan closing process.
Recording fees might be one thing that you didn’t anticipate finding among your different closing costs.
So, Let’s look at what is a recording fee during a home buying process.
Introduction To What Are Recording Fees?
The state and local agencies charge Recording fees for registering a property’s transfer of ownership.
These fees are a part of the various other expenses which are referred to as closing costs.
What Is The Cost Of Recording Fees?
Depending on the county in which the real estate transaction takes place the recording fee is charged. So the cost of recording fees will differ from county to county.
The cost of recording fees may also depend on the size of the document a borrower is filing.
A borrower who has a more complicated and lengthy document regarding the sale of their new home is likely to pay more in recording fees.
The cost could range anywhere between a few dollars to hundreds based on the laws of that county.
According to the Home Buying Institute, on average, for recording fees at closing the home buyers pay $125.
It is always a good idea to plan ahead for these fees because closing costs can add up very quickly.
Let Us Look At Different Documents Which Require Recording Fees
When it comes to real estate transactions the local governments have a responsibility to record a wide range of documents. These documents are:
- Mortgages
- Changes of title
- Deeds
- Bills of sale
- Claims of lien
Even though if it looks as if a waste of money to pay the recording fees, these records help facilitate the legal process of homeownership.
Without a record of sale at the local government office, the homeowner could run into ownership disputes in the future.
Who Is Supposed To Pay The Recording Fees?
In most situations, the buyer will pay the recording fees. But there is also a possibility for the seller to cover the recording fees for the transaction.
For the process of the seller paying the fees, the buyer would need to negotiate the cost as a part of the seller’s concession.
If the seller agrees to cover this cost, then the buyer need not worry about the payment of the recording fee stretching their budget.
Is It Possible That The Borrowers Can Avoid Paying Their Recording Fees?
No, not unless the fees are being paid by the buyer the borrower cannot avoid the fees. While taking out a mortgage to facilitate a homeownership transaction, a borrower is required to pay for the recording fees.
A mortgage loan will not get finalized by most banks until the county has recorded the purchase.
And without a record of the real estate transaction, the borrower may run into an ownership dispute in the long run.
There is a possibility that on records the previous owner may still be the owner at the county offices.
This could lead to a legal battle to prove who is the actual owner of the home.
It is suggested that this step should not be skipped after spending so much time and effort on the closing process otherwise it would lead to a lot of complications in homeownership.
A borrower can also pay their recording fees online, but this functionality will depend on the county they live in.
Some counties may not behave the facility of paying the recording fees online.
The borrower can call the county records office to learn more about the options available.
Conclusion
The amount charged by the government agency for registering or recording the purchase or sale of a property is Known as recording fees.
These fees are paid for the services provided by the recording agency which maintains complete official documents.
The payment for leases, mortgages, affidavits, changes of title, deeds, corner certificates, uniform commercial code filings, etc is done through Recording fees.
Recording fees are an integral part of the closing process. If the borrower skips this step, they may run into an ownership dispute in the future because of the lack of records for their real estate transaction.
