How Much are Closing Costs in Louisiana in 2024?

Congratulations! You are in the final stretch! However, the joy of finalizing the real estate deal brings with it the stress of financial planning. Closing costs in Louisiana are a sum of expenses you should plan for when buying or selling a house.

What are Closing Costs in Louisiana?

Closing costs in Louisiana are a sum of fees that have to be paid to different stakeholders. Closing costs are essential for finalizing the real estate deal and transferring the ownership of the house. These settlement costs are paid in addition to the net property amount.

Who Pays Closing Costs in Louisiana?

Both the buyer and seller pay certain closing costs at the end of the real estate transaction in Louisiana.

The seller spends a higher monetary amount as closing costs as they pay the REALTOR commission. On the other hand, the buyer pays other fees, like documentation charges, transfer fees, etc.

Some closing costs are negotiable, while others are non-negotiable, like taxes charged by your state or local jurisdiction.

Depending upon the conditions of the current housing market in Louisiana, the buyer or the seller can negotiate their share of the closing costs. For example, in a buyer’s market, the seller may have to bear a portion of the buyer’s closing costs.

Who Pays Closing Costs on FSBO in Louisiana?

While For Sale By Owner (FSBO) property sellers do not have to pay heavy real estate agent commissions, they cannot completely escape closing costs. Some of these are:

1. Transfer Tax

Transfer tax is charged by the state and/or municipality before ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer. However, the state of Louisiana does not impose a transfer tax on the sale of real estate.

2. Seller’s Attorney Fees

The law in Louisiana does not mandate the presence of an attorney for FSBO real estate transactions. However, it is advisable to hire a real estate attorney for FSBO deals to avoid any type of legal risk.

A real estate attorney guides the owner in preparing the necessary documents like seller disclosure and drafts of other legal paperwork. Real estate attorneys in Louisiana typically charge $150-$350 per hour as a fee.

3. Pre-listing Appraisal

FSBO sellers may have to invest in the pre-listing appraisal, as it would help them find an appropriate buyer in less time. This will, in turn, lower the number of days on the market and make the sale faster. The cost of the home appraisal in Louisiana for a single-family house or a condo ranges from $230 to $350.

» Average Cost of Home Appraisal in Louisiana: Find out more about this Louisiana closing cost.

How Much are Closing Costs in Louisiana?

The closing cost in Louisiana for sellers is approximately 8%–10% of the home’s agreement value, while the buyers are expected to pay around 2%–5% of the home’s purchase price.

Let’s put this in perspective! The median home value in Louisiana is $218,008. So, if you are selling a house in Louisiana, you may have to pay $17,500 to $22,000 as closing costs. On the other hand, if you are buying a house in Louisiana, your closing costs may range between $4,000 to $11,000.

How Much are Closing Costs for Sellers in Louisiana?

As mentioned above, when selling a house in Louisiana, you will have to pay some closing costs to transfer the house ownership to the buyer legally. These costs include several fees that need to be paid over and above the net price of the property.

Some seller closing costs are negotiable. Real estate agents in Louisiana usually have information about who pays what at closing and can help you save on closing costs.

Here are some of the prime seller closing costs in Louisiana.

1. REALTOR Fee Louisiana

The seller pays real estate commissions to both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. The real estate commissions in Louisiana usually amount to 5%-6% of the agreement value. considering the typical home price, the seller may have to shell out $12,000 as a realtor commission in Louisiana.

» How To Negotiate Real Estate Commission: Check out this blog to find how to negotiate REALTOR commissions like a pro!

2. Recording Fee

The recording fee is paid by the seller to make the real estate transaction a matter of public record. The average recording fee in Louisiana is $230.

3. Escrow Fee

An escrow agent is an unbiased third party who helps you and the buyer complete the transaction. They clear the house for sale, transfer the ownership to the buyer, and the respective funds to the seller.

The escrow fee is the remuneration charged by the escrow agent for their services. Escrow forms in Louisiana typically charge 1% of the sales price as a fee.

» Average Closing Costs in Louisiana for Seller: Here is a detailed breakdown of seller closing costs in Louisiana.

4. Home Inspection Fee

Sellers can opt for a home inspection to identify any major defects and issues, like plumbing issues, water damage, mold, appliance malfunction, etc., in the house that they must resolve before selling. This can be done before the property is listed on the market (pre-inspection) or just before the closing. The average cost of home inspection in Louisiana is $300.

The buyer can also undertake a home inspection. However, if the Louisiana home inspector finds undisclosed defects, it might give the buyer an upper hand during negotiations, or they may back out of the deal.

» What is the Average Cost of Home Inspection in Louisiana: Home inspection is an important part of a real estate transaction. Here’s what you need to know.

How Much are Closing Costs for Buyers in Louisiana?

These are the closing costs paid by the buyer while acquiring the property ownership from the seller. Like seller closing costs, these too are negotiable. Hence, hiring a buyer’s agent can help you save on closing costs.

We have listed some of the prime buyer closing costs.

1. Loan Origination Fees

Some mortgage lenders charge buyers a loan origination fee to execute the loan with other respective documentation and legal formalities. The loan origination fee in Louisiana usually amounts to 0.5%-1% of the mortgage loan amount.

» Subprime Mortgage Lenders Louisiana: Here’s our pick of mortgage lenders in Louisiana you can choose from

2. Mortgage Escrow Account/ Impound Account

The mortgage lender reserves a part of the buyer’s monthly mortgage payments in an escrow or impounds account. This reserve is maintained to pay the property tax and homeowners insurance premiums.

A mortgage servicer manages the mortgage escrow account and makes the payments on behalf of the buyer.

3. Appraisal Fee

Appraisal fees are paid to the Louisiana real estate appraiser who assesses the home value and ensures you get the best competitive price.

The average cost for home appraisal in Louisiana is $290. It depends on the property characteristics like its actual saleable area and its geographical location.

» How Much are Closing Costs for Buyers in Louisiana: Here is a breakdown of Louisiana closing costs for buyers.

4. Title Insurance

A title company offers title policy in LA to protect the insured against any type of loss with respect to any outstanding taxes, unpaid dues, default in the title, or any violations. Title insurance premiums in Louisiana may cost $550 for the lender’s policy and $830 for the owner’s policy.

» How Much Does Owner’s Title Insurance Cost in Louisiana: Protect your real estate investment with owners’ title insurance. Learn more.

How are Closing Costs Calculated?

It is important to calculate closing costs while selling a house or buying one.

The estimated closing costs give sellers an idea about the home equity they will have after the sale and helps buyers find out the amount they will have to pay over and above the agreement value of the house.

» Closing Cost Calculator: Check out the closing costs calculator for calculating the closing costs for your real estate transaction.

How to Calculate Closing Costs for Seller?

Houzeo’s Home Sale Calculator helps calculate closing costs for sellers in Louisiana with a swish and a click! All the sellers have to do is enter their property location, home sale price, mortgage payoff, seller agent commission, and buyer agent commission, and voila!

The Seller Closing Cost Calculator even gives sellers an estimate of their home inspection fee and home warranty fee. With the help of this home sale proceeds calculator, sellers can find out their home equity and be prepared for closing.

» Seller Closing Costs Calculator Louisiana: Check out the seller closing costs calculator for calculating the closing costs for the seller.

How to Calculate Closing Costs for Buyer?

Houzeo’s Buyer Closing Cost Calculator helps calculate closing costs for buyers in Louisiana. To find the estimated buyer closing costs, the buyers have to add the property location, home purchase price, and the down payment in the buyer closing cost estimator.

The closing cost calculator for buyers gives a detailed list of the buyer’s estimated closing costs.

Home buyers can find out everything right from origination fee, appraisal fee, and survey fee to the title search, attorney fee, recording fee, prepaid interest charges, escrow property taxes, and owner’s title insurance.

The Buyer’s Closing Cost Calculator even shows which fees have to be paid before closing and which ones have to be paid at closing while buying a house in Louisiana.

» Closing Costs Calculator Buyer Louisiana: Check out the closing costs calculator for buyer for calculating the closing costs for buyer.

Closing Costs in Louisiana for Refinance

Before we dive into closing costs for refinance, let’s look at the term refinance:

What is Refinancing?

Refinance, also called “Refi,” is nothing but replacing your current loan with one that offers a lower rate of interest. This helps lower monthly mortgage payments.

How Much are Closing Costs in Louisiana for Refinance?

Refinancing closing costs are the sum of several expenses paid against any services that were used in the process of underwriting and closing on your mortgage loan, which makes up 3%-5% of the mortgage amount.

The closing cost for refinancing would vary with respect to the property’s location.

Junk Closing Costs to Watch Out For

Junk costs are the additional costs that are imposed by the mortgage lender. These are usually excessive but can be challenged and negotiated for a fairer price. Some of these are:

• Application Fee: The buyer pays this fee to the lender when applying for the mortgage. Not all lenders charge an application fee.
• Loan Processing Fee: This fee is charged by the lender to execute the loan once it has been approved. Borrowers can negotiate for these charges to be waived.
• Mortgage Rate Lock Fee: This fee is a guarantee that the lender will honor the pre-agreed interest rate for a said amount for a set period.
• Underwriting Fee: Mortgage underwriters charge an underwriting fee to evaluate and verify loan applications. It is a non-recurring fee. Some lenders charge it in place of the originating fee, while others charge it in addition to the same.
• Courier Fee: A fee of $20-$50 is typically charged in order to cover the courier transactions.

Note: The costs vary by region.

Conclusion

The closing cost in Louisiana is the mandatory fee that needs to be paid by the seller & the buyer. This is paid over and above the mortgage loan amount. Where the buyer pays 2%-5% and the seller pays 6%-10% against their share of the closing cost.

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Houzeo’s customer-centric approach, advanced technology, and flat fee packages make it an ideal choice for those looking to avoid paying high commissions and closing costs.

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