08/05/2026
Here's the part that catches almost every first-time buyer in Idaho Falls off guard: the down payment isn't the only cash you bring to closing.
Closing costs are the lender fees, title, appraisal, recording, and your first chunk of taxes and insurance. Ballpark it at 2–5% of the purchase price — your lender will give you the real number, and it'll be in writing on your Loan Estimate.
Now the part almost nobody knows: the seller can pay some or all of it. It's called a seller concession, and it's negotiated right in the offer. I've had buyers who thought they were $6,000 short of owning a home, and the answer wasn't a bigger savings account — it was a better-written offer.
That's the whole job, honestly. Not just finding you a house. Making sure nobody surprises you at the table.
If you've got a down payment saved and you're scared of what else is coming, send me the word CLOSING and I'll walk you through the real numbers for your price range. No pressure, no pitch.
Shane Keele
