A complete line-item breakdown of what home buyers pay, from earnest money to closing, including down payment, loan costs, inspection, appraisal, title, and the post-NAR-settlement commission exposure most buyers haven't accounted for.
Most first-time buyers fixate on the down payment and assume the rest will sort itself out. It won't. Post-NAR-settlement, the buyer-side cost picture has shifted, and the line items that used to be invisible (like the buyer's agent commission) are now real dollars out of your pocket unless you plan around them.
This post walks through every dollar a buyer typically spends from offer acceptance to keys in hand, using a $500,000 home as the running example. Numbers are generalized to VA, MD, and NC; they vary by lender, loan type, and county.
Every buyer plans for these.
The largest single expense. Depends on loan type:
Down payment directly affects your monthly payment and whether you pay private mortgage insurance (PMI). The monthly breakdown calculator models this at different down-payment levels.
A good-faith deposit paid with the offer, typically 1 to 3% of purchase price, held in escrow until closing and credited toward your closing costs or down payment at settlement.
This isn't an additional cost, it's money you'd pay anyway, just paid early. But if you back out without a valid contingency, you can lose it.
Lenders charge fees to originate your mortgage. Typical breakdown on a $500K home:
Total loan costs: roughly $4,500 to $10,000 on a $500,000 home. VA loans have a separate VA funding fee (typically 1.25 to 3.3%) that can be rolled into the loan, and waive some of the above.
These are the ones that catch first-time buyers off guard.
This is the big change from two years ago. Before August 2024, the buyer's agent commission was almost always paid by the seller, invisible to the buyer, and baked into the list price.
Since the settlement took effect, buyers must sign a written agreement with any agent before touring a home. That agreement spells out exactly what the agent charges, typically 2.5 to 3% of purchase price, and makes clear the buyer is responsible for paying it unless you successfully negotiate the seller to cover it at closing.
On a $500,000 home:
Some listings still offer to cover buyer-side commissions; many don't. Budget to owe some or all of this out of pocket unless your offer explicitly negotiates it as a seller concession.
VroomBrick alternative: The seller pays a 1% technology fee to VroomBrick at closing. The fee replaces the traditional buyer's agent commission, and the buyer pays $0 for representation, showings, contract work, and settlement. For most buyers this is the single largest line item the 1% eliminates. See how the 1% technology fee works for the full mechanics.
Your inspection, your cost, your call on who to hire. This is the one expense you absolutely should not skip.
Paid directly to the inspector, typically within a few days of contract acceptance. Non-refundable.
In VA, MD, and NC, closing is typically run by a licensed closing attorney rather than a title company. Historically:
This is separate from lender's title insurance and covers contract review, settlement coordination, and title work on your behalf.
VroomBrick alternative: Closing attorney fees are included in the seller's 1% technology fee. $0 to the buyer.
Optional but strongly recommended. A one-time premium that protects you from defects in the property's title history.
Your lender will require a separate lender's policy (already covered above under loan costs); the owner's policy protects you personally.
At closing you reimburse the seller for the portion of property taxes or HOA dues they've already paid but that cover the period after you take ownership.
Government fees charged when your deed is recorded and ownership transfers.
Maryland is meaningfully more expensive on this line than VA or NC. If you're buying across state lines, factor this in.
Not technically a closing cost, but it's money leaving your account in the same week.
Here's a realistic range for a conventional 10% down buyer in VA, post-NAR-settlement.
| Line item | Traditional buyer | VroomBrick buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment (10%) | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Buyer's agent commission (2.5%) | $12,500 | $0 |
| Loan costs | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| Home inspection | $500 | $500 |
| Closing attorney | $1,000 | $0 |
| Owner's title insurance | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Pro-rated taxes/HOA | $500 | $500 |
| Recording, transfer (VA grantee) | $1,300 | $1,300 |
| Moving costs (estimate) | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Total cash to close + moving | ~$75,300 | ~$61,800 |
Difference: about $13,500 less out of pocket as a VroomBrick buyer, driven almost entirely by the buyer's agent commission not existing and the closing attorney being covered by the seller's 1% fee.
That swing grows on higher-priced homes, because the buyer's agent commission scales with purchase price while most other costs are fixed or scale less steeply.
A safe planning framework for most buyers:
On a $500,000 home, traditional path, expect $25,000 to $40,000 in cash above the down payment to be comfortable. With VroomBrick, you save roughly $13,500 of that, primarily by eliminating the buyer's agent commission and closing attorney as separate line items.
The seller pays a 1% technology fee at closing, and out of that 1% VroomBrick covers the buyer's closing attorney, the showing agents, the platform, and the transaction coordination, so the buyer doesn't owe a buyer's agent commission and doesn't owe a separate attorney bill.
For the mechanics of how the 1% fee structure works and why the seller saves on their side too, read How the 1% Technology Fee Actually Works. For an interactive look at what a specific home's numbers would be, try the savings calculator or the monthly payment breakdown.
Most buyers walk into their first offer knowing their down payment and almost nothing else. Don't be most buyers.
About VroomBrick: VroomBrick is a real estate technology platform, not a licensed real estate brokerage. VroomBrick does not provide brokerage services, represent buyers or sellers, negotiate contracts, or hold real estate licenses. Contract negotiation, representation, and settlement are handled by independent licensed closing attorneys connected through the platform. Real estate commissions and fees are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Buyer's agent commissions referenced reflect typical market practice post-NAR settlement (effective August 2024) and vary by agreement. Closing cost figures are illustrative estimates for VA, MD, and NC; actual costs vary by lender, loan type, county, and transaction.
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