Inputs you need for Closing Cost in United States Federal

Inputs you will need

To estimate closing costs for the United States Federal (US-FED) jurisdiction using DocketMath (jurisdiction-aware rules under US-FED), gather inputs in four practical buckets: transaction details, loan facts, fees (lender + third-party + government-related), and settlement dates.

Use this checklist to avoid missing inputs that can materially change the total:

Even though this is US-FED, many settlement items depend on the property’s local recording and typical fee practices tied to where the property sits. Examples: purchase, refinance, or other conversion (e.g., cash-to-loan).

• Purchases: use the contract price.
• Refinances: use the amount being refinanced / price basis that applies in your scenario. The lender-funded principal amount used for prepaid interest and other calculations. Impacts how certain interest-related calculations and fee modeling behave.
• If you’re unsure which to use, APR is often the easiest for cost-like estimates.
• If you have note rate and want a rate/interest scenario, use note rate and let DocketMath apply the relationships based on your other inputs. Timing is critical for prepaid interest and some proration/escrow funding amounts. Select one: If you only have monthly or partial figures, you may need to convert to an annual amount first—then DocketMath can prorate based on your timeline. Needed when escrow is used for taxes/insurance funding or prepaid funding estimates. HOA-related timing/collection can create additional settlement line items. These are often local. DocketMath uses jurisdiction-aware logic under US-FED, but location inputs (state + county) help it model the right approach. Include what you know, even if your lender’s estimate may differ slightly:

Pitfall to avoid: The fastest way to get a misleading “total closing cost” is to skip the timing inputs (closing date and first payment date). Prepaid interest and escrow funding can swing the total even when the loan amount stays the same.

Where to find each input

To make this usable in real workflows, here are common places these items appear:

• Purchase price / refinance basis / loan amount

  • Purchase: contract documents
  • Refinance: lender statements showing the payoff/price basis
  • Lender: Loan Estimate (LE) and **Closing Disclosure (CD)
• Interest rate and APR

  • Loan Estimate (LE) (typically shows rate and APR)
  • Closing Disclosure (CD) (final numbers)
  • Lender rate sheet (if you’re comparing scenarios)
• Closing date and first payment date

  • Closing Disclosure (CD) for the closing date
  • Closing Disclosure (CD) for first payment information or related schedule
• Property taxes and homeowners insurance

  • Tax records and/or assessment summary
  • Existing escrow statements (if you already escrow)
  • Insurance declarations page for annual premium
• HOA dues

  • HOA documents or HOA-provided disclosure
  • Contract or rider sections that specify dues and timing
• Lender fees, title charges, appraisal, credit report, recording

  • **Loan Estimate (early estimate)
  • Closing Disclosure (final itemization)
    If you can choose one, the Closing Disclosure is usually the most accurate snapshot of your final totals.
• Points and lender credits/debits

  • Closing Disclosure sections showing lender credits or discount points
  • Also may be summarized on Loan Estimate
• Mortgage insurance

  • Closing Disclosure mortgage insurance sections
  • Lender estimates for PMI or FHA/VA mortgage insurance charges

If you’re using DocketMath, you’ll enter values in categories that match how a standard closing disclosure organizes costs. When you’re missing a specific line item, you can still run a modeled estimate—just expect the output to become more reliable as you add known third-party and lender amounts.

Gentle note: This is an estimate, not legal or final financial advice. Final totals can still change based on lender processing, title findings, and local service availability.

Run it

Open DocketMath using your primary CTA: /tools/closing-cost .

Enter the inputs in DocketMath and run the Closing Cost calculation to generate a clean breakdown: Run the calculator.

Capture the source for each input so another team member can verify the same result quickly.

Step 1: Select your scenario inputs

In the DocketMath closing-cost calculator for US-FED, set:

• Transaction type (purchase vs refinance)
• Property location (state + county)
• Loan amount and price basis
• Interest rate / APR
• Closing date + first payment date (or days to first payment)
• Escrow choice (escrow vs no escrow)
• Annual property tax, annual insurance premium, and HOA dues (if applicable)

Step 2: Add known fees

Next, enter any fees you already have from lender or settlement materials:

• Lender fees (origination, underwriting, points/credits)
• Title and recording charges
• Appraisal, credit report, and inspections
• Attorney/settlement agent fees (if used)
• Transfer/doc types (where applicable)

If you don’t have every third-party amount yet, that’s okay—you can run an estimate and update later. DocketMath will calculate a modeled total using the information you provide.

Step 3: Review outputs and understand what changes the total

When you run the tool, review how costs are grouped. You’ll typically see totals broken into categories such as:

• Prepaids (prepaid interest, escrow funding, and insurance/taxes collected at closing)
• Lender fees (origination, points/credits)
• Third-party costs (title, appraisal, recording, settlement services)

In US-FED scenarios, these items often move the number the most:

• Closing timing (prepaid interest + escrow funding)
• Loan size and whether points are paid
• Whether escrow is used and the provided annual tax/insurance amounts
• Property location (for typical local fee/documentary patterns)

Warning for comparisons: Don’t compare an estimate from one stage (early estimate) to a later settlement figure unless you align timing inputs (especially closing date). A different closing date can change prepaid interest/escrow funding enough to confuse an “apples-to-apples” comparison.

Step 4: Run multiple scenarios quickly

Try at least two runs:

• Scenario A (current plan): enter your best-known closing date and fees
• Scenario B (timing stress test): shift the closing date by ±15 days to see sensitivity for prepaid interest and escrow funding

This helps you plan a buffer before the final Closing Disclosure.

Related reading

• Average closing costs in Alabama — Rule summary with authoritative citations
• Average closing costs in Alaska — Rule summary with authoritative citations
• Average closing costs in Arizona — Rule summary with authoritative citations