Closing Costs Line by Line

Loan Estimate against Closing Disclosure, which fees may legally change and by how much, and how prorations are calculated at settlement.

Closing Costs Line by Line September 10, 2026 Property Taxes Prorated at Closing: The Math The proration line shows a date range and an amount and no arithmetic. Two worked closings, one arrears county and one prepaid, rebuild it to the cent. 14 min read
Closing Costs Line by Line August 23, 2026 Closing Costs Explained: Who Receives Each Fee Origination, title, recording, transfer tax, prepaids, escrow: what each line on page 2 of the Closing Disclosure pays for, and which party actually banks it. 10 min read
Closing Costs Line by Line August 16, 2026 Loan Estimate vs Closing Disclosure: Which Fees Change Three tolerance groups decide which Closing Disclosure fees you can push back on: the 10 percent arithmetic, and a refund deadline 60 days past closing. 13 min read

About this section

A mechanic's lien recorded in 2009 surfaced on the title commitment six days before closing, and that purchase ended there. The second one, two years later, went through — but only because Ellis Tran had by then learned to open Schedule B on the day it arrives instead of the day before signing. He is neither an agent nor a loan officer, recommends no lender and no loan product, and is paid nothing by anyone involved in a transaction. Each page names the rule it leans on — a CFPB regulation section, an ALTA form number, a state's own disclosure form — and links the original, so the wording can be checked against whatever your own file actually says.

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Every guide cites the agency, statute, or document it was checked against, and carries the date it was checked. Rules change — if something here is out of date, tell us and it gets corrected.