Some of the most significant closing costs are related to loans. During a cash sale, loans aren’t a factor, so you may be thinking closing costs are no longer relevant. However, there are certainly closing costs unrelated to loans. And the rules for who pays don’t change; it’s still negotiated between the buyer and seller.
The costs related to loans include origination fees, processing fees, and credit checks. These are all generally paid by the buyer, but you don’t have to worry about these at all for a cash sale. That doesn’t mean everything else is automatically paid by the seller. Closing costs also include earnest money, property inspections, appraisals, title insurance, and a title search. It may also include attorney’s fees, notary expenses, and some escrow fees, if applicable. Earnest money is always paid by the buyer, and in most cases, all or nearly all closing costs are. However, there’s always room to negotiate. Particularly in the case of a cash buyer, the buyer may have more negotiating power because the seller is less likely to want to lose a cash buyer.
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