Are the lender fees on your Loan Estimate too high?
"Too high" is a measurement, not a feeling, and the measurement exists. Every year lenders report what they actually charged on millions of real loans under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. Here is what Section A totals, points included, looked like in the most recent full year of that public record:
| Program and purpose | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional purchase | $1,202 | $2,075 | $4,817 |
| Conventional refinance, rate and term | $995 | $1,805 | $4,717 |
| Conventional refinance, cash out | $1,674 | $3,828 | $6,593 |
| FHA purchase | $1,440 | $3,089 | $5,811 |
| FHA refinance, rate and term | $0 | $950 | $4,699 |
| FHA refinance, cash out | $3,941 | $6,084 | $8,859 |
| VA purchase | $0 | $1,015 | $3,313 |
| VA refinance, rate and term | $1,329 | $2,755 | $4,658 |
| VA refinance, cash out | $4,544 | $7,877 | $11,995 |
Source: HMDA public loan data, 2024, national, Section A only
How to read this: half of all loans of each type landed between the 25th and 75th percentile. A quarter paid less, a quarter paid more. Yes, some zeros are real: a quarter of VA purchase loans and a quarter of FHA rate and term refinances closed with no Section A charges at all, mostly streamline programs and lenders who price their compensation into the rate instead.
Three honest caveats. Section A is measured as one total with points included, because that is how the public record reports it, so a loan with bought down points sits higher on this table while carrying a lower rate. These are national figures. And your loan size matters: a point on a large loan is more dollars than a point on a small one. This table pools all loan sizes; the size banded breakdown lives on our State of Mortgage Fees page.
Common questions
Are lender fees negotiable?
Section A charges are set by the lender and borrowers do negotiate them, most effectively by presenting a competing Loan Estimate.
Is a 1% origination fee normal?
On a $300,000 loan, 1% is $3,000. Against the table above, that lands in the upper half for most purchase loans before points. Whether it is high for your loan depends on your program, your rate, and what the fee buys down. For dollar figures at a specific loan size, see our $300,000 loan page.
Does this table include points?
Yes. Section A is graded as one total, points included, because that is how the public record reports it.
This page answers the general question. What it cannot answer is where your numbers sit. The AI reads your Loan Estimate line by line and grades your Section A total and your rate against this same public data, priced for your credit, your down payment, and your loan type. One upload, one $29 report, and your document is deleted once it is delivered.