Homebuyers can now estimate their closing costs for any property listed at real estate brokerage ZipRealty.com.
The brokerage has joined forces with La Jolla, Calif.-based ClosingCorp, which operates Closing.com, a closing services comparison site, to provide local, live estimates of any fees required to complete the purchase of a home, including those associated with title insurance, escrow, settlements, home inspection, appraisal, home warranty, pest inspection, a real estate closing attorney, or a notary public.
Closing-cost estimates include property taxes, transfer taxes and recording fees for each transaction.
They appear at the bottom of listings on ZipRealty’s Web site as part of the site’s mortgage calculator. Users are required to register to access listings that show the closing-cost estimates. Registration is free.
Users can also click on a link to Closing.com’s SmartClosing Calculator to get a more detailed estimate.
For buyers, real estate closing costs can range from 2 to 7 percent of the cost of the home, according to Freddie Mac.
Through the partnership, ZipRealty.com users will gain access to data from Closing.com’s 125,000 real estate and closing service vendors. ZipRealty operates in 36 U.S. markets.
"With the addition of Closing.com, consumers will benefit from a site that takes them from property search to agent search to the closing process quickly and transparently" and can help buyers and sellers save money in the process, said Julie Han, vice president of business development for ClosingCorp, in a statement.
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