How much should lender fees be on a $500,000 loan?
Percent rules fall apart completely at this size, so here is the public record instead: what lenders reported charging on real loans of this size under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.
A $500,000 loan sits at the seam of two measurement bands in the data, so here are both, for conventional purchase loans in 2024:
| Loan size | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300K to $500K | $1,325 | $2,570 | $5,775 |
| $500K and up | $1,250 | $2,172 | $7,485 |
Source: HMDA public loan data, 2024, national, Section A only
So the direct answer: on a $500,000 conventional purchase, the middle of the public record sits between roughly $2,200 and $2,600 depending on which side of the seam a loan fell, and a quarter of loans paid under about $1,300. Meanwhile 1 percent of $500,000 is $5,000, roughly double either median. At this size, a percent based quote and the public record live in different worlds.
The shape of the big loan band is the most interesting in the whole dataset. Above $500K the median actually DROPS, from $2,570 to $2,172, while the 75th percentile jumps from $5,775 to $7,485. Large loans split into two populations: loans that closed with flat, modest lender fees, and loans carrying points, where each point is $5,000 or more booking into the same total. That stretch is points money buying rate, not the same fee getting bigger. Which is exactly why fees and rate have to be judged together at this size, never either alone.
Refinancing medians in 2024: rate and term at $2,302 in the $300K to $500K band and $1,640 above $500K. Cash out refinances ran far higher at every size.
For other loan sizes and programs, the full size banded dataset is on our State of Mortgage Fees page, downloadable as CSV. Nearby sizes: $200,000, $300,000, $400,000.
Common questions
Is an $8,000 lender fee total high on a $500,000 loan?
It sits above the 75th percentile of the 2024 record on both sides of the seam. Points are the first thing to check: a point and a half would be $7,500 on this loan, most of that total on its own.
Do these figures include title, appraisal, and escrow?
No. This table measures Section A only, the lender's own charges. Third party services and prepaids are separate kinds of money, covered in our closing costs vs prepaids guide.
What about FHA and VA loans this size?
In the $500K and up band, 2024 medians were $5,945 for FHA purchases and $1,507 for VA purchases. The full table by program is on the data page.
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.