← Level 11: Closing Day, the 40 Pages, Line by Line·The Bold Buyer School

Level 11 tool - Free

LE vs CD, checked.

Federal rules put fees into three buckets. Type your real numbers in and this flags anything that moved more than it's allowed to.

Put your real Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure side by side. Type each fee into both columns below and this flags any bucket that grew more than the rules allow.

Fee category (typical example)BucketWhat that means
Lender's own fees (origination, underwriting, processing)Zero toleranceCannot increase at all, for any reason
Transfer taxesZero toleranceCannot increase at all, for any reason
Fees paid to a company affiliated with your lenderZero toleranceCannot increase at all, for any reason
Recording fees10% toleranceCan rise, but the whole group together by no more than 10%
Required third-party services picked from the lender's provider list (e.g. pest inspection)10% toleranceCan rise, but the whole group together by no more than 10%
Homeowners insurance, if you shopped for it yourselfNo set toleranceCan change more freely - it was your own choice from the start
Owner's title insurance, if you shopped for your own providerNo set toleranceCan change more freely - it was your own choice from the start

Zero-tolerance fees

-

Cannot rise even one dollar between your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure.

FeeLoan EstimateClosing DisclosureChange
Lender's origination fee
$
$
-
Transfer tax
$
$
-
-

10% cumulative-tolerance fees

-

This whole group, added together, can rise by up to 10% total between the two forms - not 10% on each individual line.

FeeLoan EstimateClosing DisclosureChange
Recording fees
$
$
-
Pest inspection (lender's provider list)
$
$
-
-

Shop-it-yourself fees

-

No set tolerance - these were your own choice from the start, so they can change more freely.

FeeLoan EstimateClosing DisclosureChange
Homeowners insurance (your own choice)
$
$
-
-

This tool is general education only, not legal, financial, insurance, or tax advice. Figures shown are typical ranges, not a quote - always confirm exact costs with your own agent, lender, escrow officer, and licensed professionals. Costs vary by state, lender, and property.