Cash-to-close on a home purchase is a term that can be misleading, but it simply refers  

to the total amount of money you need at closing, including:

• Your down payment
• Closing costs
• Prepaids
• Interest

This “cash” is outlined by the good faith estimate you originally received from your lender along with the final closing disclosure you’ll get three days before the closing date.

If you have some cash-to-close held in escrow, such as your earnest money to the seller, it will be added to the rest of your down payment that you bring to closing.

Closing costs range from 2-5% of your loan. These include all the professional fees associated with your home purchase:

• Title searches
• Attorney fees
• Recording fees
• Lender fees, such as appraisals and loan origination fees 

Other cash-to-close fees may include pre-paid monies for home insurance, your prorated share of the year’s property taxes, and any government (FHA, VA, USDA) fees tied to your loan. Last, you’ll pay per diem interest between closing day and your first monthly payment due date.

When you pay the earnest money to the seller as part of your down payment, you’re showing good faith that you intend to buy the home. The money goes into an escrow account held by a neutral third party, such as a title company, until all the contingencies and conditions of the purchase are met, or the purchase contract is voided.

After the transaction is closed, the loan servicer or lender takes over and safeguards the money funded by your monthly mortgage loan payment in an escrow account. The servicer pays the lender, mortgage and property insurers, and other entities on your behalf. They also save and pay the funds earmarked for annual property taxes when they’re due.

If the current escrow is short of funds because of an adjustable loan reset or your property taxes have risen, the servicer lets you know promptly. They calculate your new monthly payment to not only make up the shortfall, but to cover all monthly and annual payments due.

Escrow accounts are secure and simplify payments for everyone.

Does your home boast the latest trends to appeal to homebuyers? A new report by Realtor.com says home sellers are emphasizing their homes’ operating features, with more focus on “power, water, and natural light”.

Based on how frequently certain features are highlighted in for-sale listings, the listing service found that between Septembers 2024 and 2025, the top 10 fastest growing marketing trends are:

1. WaterSense fixtures (+289.6%)
2. Biophilia/indoor-outdoor (+162.6%)
3. Coastal modern (+125.6%)
4. Net-Zero ready (+100%)
5. EV charging station (+91.6%)
6. Outdoor low-voltage lighting (+91.1%)
7. Home gym (+91.1%)
8. City skyline views (+86.9%)
9. Aged metal accents (+79.8%)
10. Built-in coffee system (+72.2%)

Most widely mentioned were: Home office/Zoom rooms (+56.5%), fullyfenced yards (61.2%), and finished walk-out basements (+21.4).

Less often-mentioned were: House numbers/modern address (-34.6%), formal dining with built-ins (-25.3%), and Infinity-edge pools (-24.7%).

With affordability remaining an issue for homebuyers, home sellers are touting right-sized comfort, flexibility, efficiency, sustainability and nature-inspired design over “opulent or space-heavy features.”