How Much are Closing Costs in Arkansas in 2024?

✏️ Editor’s Note: Realtor Associations, agents, and MLS’ have started implementing changes related to the NAR’s $418 million settlement. While home-sellers will likely save thousands in commission, compliance and litigation risks have significantly increased for sellers throughout the nation. Learn how NAR’s settlement affects home sellers.

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 Arkansas are a sum of expenses you should plan for when buying or selling a house.

What are Closing Costs in Arkansas?

Closing costs in Arkansas 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 Arkansas?

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

The seller shells out a higher monetary amount as closing costs as they pay the REALTOR commission. Other fees, like documentation charges, transfer fees, etc., are paid by the buyer.

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 Arkansas, 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 Arkansas?

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. Arkansas Transfer Tax

Transfer tax is charged by the state and/or municipality before the ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer. Arkansas real estate transfer tax is imposed at the rate of $3.30 per $1000 of the property value.

2. Seller’s Attorney Fees

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

A real estate attorney guides the owner in preparing the necessary documents like Arkansas residential real property disclosure and drafts of other legal paperwork. The average real estate attorney fee in Arkansas is $250 per hour.

» Free Websites to List For Sale By Owner: Check out the blog to know about the best FSBO websites in 2023.

3. Pre-listing Appraisal

FSBO Arkansas 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 a home appraisal in Arkansas ranges from $375-$475.

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

How Much are Closing Costs in Arkansas?

The closing cost in Arkansas 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 Arkansas is $187,071. So, if you are selling a house in Arkansas, you may have to pay $15,000 to $19,000 as closing costs. On the other hand, if you are buying a house in Arkansas, your closing costs may range between $5,000 to $10,000.

How Much are Closing Costs for Sellers in Arkansas?

As mentioned above, when selling real estate in Arkansas, 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 Arkansas usually know who pays what at closing and can help you save on closing costs.

Here are some of the typical seller closing costs in Arkansas.

1. REALTOR Fees Arkansas

The seller pays real estate commissions to both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. The real estate commissions in Arkansas usually amount to 5%-6% of the agreement value. According to the typical home price, the average real estate commission in Arkansas is $11,000.

» 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 typical recording fee in Arkansas is $25.

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 Arkansas usually charge 1% of the sales price as the fee.

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

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 cost of a home inspection in Arkansas is usually around $200-$400.

The buyer can also undertake a home inspection in Arkansas. However, if the Arkansas 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 Arkansas: 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 Arkansas?

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 typical buyer closing costs in Arkansas.

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 Arkansas usually amounts to 0.5%-1% of the mortgage loan amount.

» Subprime Mortgage Lenders Arkansas: Here’s our pick of mortgage lenders in Arkansas 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 Arkansas real estate appraiser who assesses the home value and ensures you get the best competitive price.

The average cost for home appraisal in Arkansas is $425. The final home appraisal cost depends on the property characteristics like its actual saleable area and its geographical location.

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

4. Title Insurance

A title company offers a title policy in AR to protect the insurer against any type of loss with respect to any outstanding taxes, unpaid dues, default in the title, or any violations. Title insurance premium in Arkansas ranges from $450-$1,150 for the owner’s insurance policy and $50 for the lender’s insurance policy.

» How Much Does Owner’s Title Insurance Cost in Arkansas: 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 Arkansas 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 Costs Calculator Arkansas 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 Cost Calculator Arkansas: Check out the Arkansas closing costs calculator for sellers to estimate the average closing costs in Arkansas for sellers.

How to Calculate Closing Costs for Buyer?

Houzeo’s Buyer Closing Cost Calculator helps calculate closing costs for buyers in Arkansas. 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 Buyers 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 Arkansas.

» Closing Cost Calculator for buyers Arkansas: Check out the closing costs calculator for buyers to estimate the average closing costs for buyers in Arkansas.

Closing Costs in Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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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Frequently Asked Questions

Also Read

• Who Pays Closing Cost in Arkansas: Closing costs vary according to the type of real estate deal. Find out which closing costs you’ll have to pay in Arkansas.
• Flat Fee MLS in Arkansas: You can save a significant amount in closing costs in Arkansas by listing your house on the MLS for a flat fee.
• Real Estate Purchase Agreement Arkansas: Check out how to create a contract for an FSBO transaction.
• How to Stop Foreclosure in Arkansas: Read the blog to know how to stop foreclosure in Arkansas.
• Who Pays for Lender’s Title Insurance in Arkansas: If you are taking a mortgage to buy a house, you will most likely have to purchase a lender’s title insurance.
• Selling a Home AS IS in Arkansas: Check out how you can sell your house as is in Arkansas.

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