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The down payment is not the check you write.
First-time buyers budget the down payment and get ambushed by the rest: origination fees, appraisal, title insurance, and escrow prepaids typically add 2–5% of the price. This calculator itemizes the stack and gives you the real cash-to-close number — the check you actually write at the table.
First-time buyers use it the week before making an offer — the down payment is not the whole check. Buyers use it again when the Loan Estimate arrives to catch padded fees line by line.
Typically 2–5% of the purchase price: on a $400,000 home, $8,000–$20,000. The big items are loan origination (0.5–1% of the loan), title insurance, appraisal, and escrow prepaids — several months of property tax plus the first year of homeowner's insurance deposited upfront. State transfer taxes can add meaningfully in some states.
Almost all of the lender side: origination points, application fees, and rate-buydowns are negotiable or shoppable between lenders. Title and escrow fees are shoppable in most states. Recording fees and transfer taxes are fixed by government. Seller credits are negotiated in the purchase contract — in slow markets, asking for 2–3% toward closing often works.
Sometimes — lender credits (accept a higher rate in exchange for the lender covering costs) or financing costs into certain loan programs reduce upfront cash but raise the payment or rate for 30 years. A 0.25% higher rate on $320,000 costs about $50/month — roughly $18,000 over the full term. Do that math before choosing "no closing cost" offers.