Category Archives: Closing

Closing Costs

Who Pays the Closing Costs?

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So you’ve found the perfect new house, and are ready to make an offer… Great! Naturally, you want to make your offer as attractive as possible. But as you comb through your budget, it occurs to you… Who pays the closing costs? 

It’s at this time that you begin to frantically research a topic that you now wish you had looked at beforehand: Closing costs. What are they, and who pays them? 

Closing costs are the fees paid upfront at closing by both the buyer and the seller. They cover expenses such as the title search, property taxes, real estate fees, inspections, title insurance, and closing fees. In Florida, these expenses are shared by buyers and sellers. Buyers frequently pay the fees associated with home inspections and obtaining a mortgage. Sellers usually pay the agents’ commissions and taxes. In most cases, buyers can expect to pay roughly 2.5% to 3.5% of the total sale price in upfront closing costs.

Buyer closing costs cover items such as:

  • Survey Fees
  • Appraisal Fees
  • Inspections
  • Recording Fees
  • Loan Origination Fees
  • Credit Report
  • HOA Fees

Seller closing costs pay for:

  • Agent Commission
  • Taxes
  • Promissory Note
  • Title Search

Closing costs are due upfront, meaning they usually can’t be rolled into the mortgage. Although there are scenarios where the lender might pay for some of the closing costs in exchange for a higher interest rate, this is rarely in the buyer’s favor. Because of this, it’s important to plan ahead and be ready to pay closing costs in addition to your down payment.

With that said, if adding closing costs to the bottom line of your “cash due at closing” puts you just out of reach of your dream home, could you ask the seller to pay more of the closing costs in your offer? Sure – go ahead! You can always ask. …Or you could ask for that same $5,000 to be taken off of the sale price, and enjoy lower payments over the lifetime of the loan. Depending upon what you can swing upfront, the latter might be the wisest choice.

Regardless of whether you approach closing from the buyer’s perspective or the seller’s, a bit of pre-planning will help to make the reality of closing costs less of a strain. If you have questions about the closing process, feel free to contact the team at Turner Title! We’re here to help, and can’t wait to guide you through the process of purchasing (or selling) your home.  

Meet the Team at Turner Title

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Turner Title is the best company of closers in Florida. But don’t take our word for it – meet the team! Let us introduce you to each of our stupendous, professional, competent, courteous, fun-loving staff members.

Lisa Gudath – President

Lisa is a Florida native raised in Brandon and Tampa. She attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. Lisa began her Real Estate career in Phoenix. She then launched her 20+ year career as an Information Technology Professional. She went on to administer networks in the Hospitality Industry and Educational sector. In 2005 she earned her master’s degree in education.

In 2014, she circled back to both real estate and Florida, where she now calls Treasure Island home. Lisa became a Licensed Title Agent with Turner Title in 2022. Her experience from all sides of the closing table allows her to create a title experience with happy clients and seamless transactions.

Arieal Calhoun – Customer Service Specialist

Arieal Calhoun is a Tampa Bay Native with extensive knowledge of the Tampa Bay real estate market.  Her career in real estate and title is aligned with her core values of providing exemplary customer service. She is committed to ensuring each client is provided with a smooth and complete transaction and is happy to be a part of the team with Turner Title. When not working with clients, Ariel works to advocate for children and families within her community.

Miranda Zaldivar – Escrow Officer/Closer

Miranda is a second-generation Cuban and Puerto Rican American who has made the Tampa Bay area her home for the past 6 years. She is originally from Miami and fell in love with Tampa Bay after attending the University of South Florida. Her fluency in both Spanish and English helps ensure all of our clients are receiving adequate and passionate care in their native language. She is devoted to making the process of buying or selling a home as easy and stress-free as possible.

Fareedah Pretto – Post Closer

Fareedah is an experienced Title Processor/Closer that has been working on a national title level for over 15 years. As a Pinellas County native, it is her passion to serve her community. Specializing in purchases, refinances, foreclosure deeds, and new construction homes, as a processor. She is committed to meeting the needs of each client for her community to thrive. Fareedah’s career has catapulted as her passion for title work has motived her to learn every facet of the business. Currently, she holds a position as Post-Closer with Turner Title. Her outgoing and enthusiastic personality captivates not only her family but her clients also. Fareedah’s commitment to excellence and service ensures that each client is cared for, just as she would her own family – with the utmost care!

Randi Golemme – Account Executive

Randi Golemme has been in the real estate industry for over 20 years. She was born on Long Island, New York, and moved to South Florida in 1990 and now calls SE Polk County her home since 2007. Randi is a licensed Florida Realtor and a Certified Salesperson with the National Association of Home Builders. She specialized in new home sales and new construction along with a background in title. She has now joined the Turner Title team as an Account Executive.

Massiel Seijas – Escrow Officer/Closer

Massiel has been serving Tampa’s top real estate agents, lenders, and mortgage brokers since 2012. Born in Cuba and raised in Venezuela, she is fluent in both English and Spanish, and can skillfully close real estate transactions in either language. Massiel is passionate about the Tampa Bay community and regularly participates in local events.

Christy Sexton – Escrow Officer/Closer

Meet one of the newest members of the Dalton Wade team! Christy brings outstanding professionalism and responsiveness to the table, and is an expert in her field!

Now that you’ve had the opportunity to meet the team at Turner Title, check out our website for more information about us, or schedule a call to learn more about the resources we can offer you. Looking for Florida real estate? Check out listings on Dalton Wade Real Estate’s website.

Who Pays the Closing Costs?

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So you’ve found the perfect new house, and are ready to make an offer… Great! Naturally, you want to make your offer as attractive as possible. But as you comb through your budget, it occurs to you…

Who pays the closing costs? 

It’s at this time that you begin to frantically research a topic that you now wish you had looked at beforehand: Closing costs. What are they, and who pays them? 

Closing costs are the fees paid upfront at closing by both the buyer and the seller. They cover expenses such as the title search, property taxes, real estate fees, inspections, title insurance, and closing fees. In Florida, these expenses are frequently shared by buyers and sellers. Buyers frequently pay the fees associated with home inspections and obtaining a mortgage. Sellers usually pay the agents’ commission and taxes. In most cases, buyers can expect to pay roughly 2.5% to 3.5% of the total sale price in upfront closing costs.

Buyers usually cover items such as:

  • Survey Fees
  • Appraisal Fees
  • Inspections
  • Recording Fees
  • Loan Origination Fees
  • Credit Report
  • HOA Fees

Sellers often pay for:

  • Agent Commission
  • Taxes
  • Promissory Note
  • Title Search

Closing costs are due upfront, meaning they usually can’t be rolled into the mortgage. Although there are scenarios where the lender might pay for some of the closing costs in exchange for a higher interest rate, this is rarely in the buyer’s favor. Because of this, it’s important to plan ahead and be ready to pay all of your upfront fees in addition to your down payment.

With that said, if adding closing costs to the bottom line of your “cash due at closing” puts you just out of reach of your dream home, could you ask the seller to pay more of the closing costs in your offer? Sure – go ahead! You can always ask. …Or you could ask for that same $5,000 to be taken off of the sale price, and enjoy lower payments over the lifetime of the loan. Depending upon what you can swing upfront, the latter might be the wisest choice.

Regardless of whether you approach closing from the buyer’s perspective or the seller’s, a bit of pre-planning will help to make the reality of closing costs less of a strain. If you have questions about the closing process, feel free to contact the team at Turner Title! We’re here to help, and can’t wait to guide you through the process of purchasing (or selling) your home. 

Virtual Closing

Online Closing is Here to Stay

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Online closing makes real estate sales and purchases simple! Imagine this scenario… your real estate client has just accepted a new job in a new town. It’s time for her to pack everything up and put the house on the market!

Even if your seller accepts an offer the very first day that her home is listed, there likely will be at least a three week waiting period before closing. By then, she might have already moved. And now you have to ask her to travel all the way back just to sign the closing documents?

Luckily, the days of relying on snail mail and over-priced airline tickets to close long-distance business deals are behind us. The real estate boom of 2021 coincided with the COVID-19 epidemic at just the right time to fan into flame the growing popularity of online real estate closings. But what does this mean for realtors? 

First, if you haven’t recently brushed up on your Zoom skills, now is the time. In most cases, there will be some sort of online conferencing component to the closing process. Buyers and sellers won’t necessarily be up to speed on their remote technical skills, so be ready to provide some light “IT” help as needed.

Second, make sure that you’re working with a closing company that can handle the online closing process. One of the great things that sets Turner Title apart from other title services is our ability to transition easily between in-person and online closings, and even provide a mobile notary to both the buyer and seller!

Finally, as always, make sure to remind your clients not to respond to emails containing Wire Transfer Instructions. Wire fraud is a growing issue. Help your clients stay safe by personally providing them with the exact contact information of their closing team. A direct introduction is even better! Remember – just because the closing is happening remotely doesn’t mean that the process needs to be impersonal. Let your buyers know that they can reach out directly to a member of Turner Title’s team if they have any questions about the origin of any communication they’ve received.