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A seller concession is any closing cost the seller agrees to cover on your behalf, written right into the purchase agree...
08/24/2026

A seller concession is any closing cost the seller agrees to cover on your behalf, written right into the purchase agreement. It's not a discount on the price and it's not a side deal, it's a defined part of the contract that lowers the cash you need to bring to closing.

Many buyers only know about rate buydowns, but the list is longer than that: closing cost credits, HOA dues, a home warranty, and more. On the entry-level end of the market, where homes are taking longer to sell, sellers are often more open to negotiating these than buyers expect.

If you're qualified for the monthly payment but tight on upfront cash, this is worth understanding before you have your agent write an offer. Here's the full breakdown:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/seller-concessions

This is the most common seller concession, and often the most useful. A closing cost seller credit means the seller cove...
08/22/2026

This is the most common seller concession, and often the most useful. A closing cost seller credit means the seller covers some or all of the costs you'd normally pay out of pocket at closing: lender fees, title charges, the appraisal, and prepaid items like taxes and insurance.

For a buyer who has the down payment handled but is stretched thin on everything piled on top of it, this one credit can be the difference between closing now and waiting another year to save. Seller-paid closing costs are negotiated as part of your offer and written into the contract.

Want to know what's realistic to ask for in your situation? Read the breakdown, then let's talk this week:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/seller-concessions

Here's the concession that gets all the attention, and for good reason. A seller can contribute funds to buy down your i...
08/21/2026

Here's the concession that gets all the attention, and for good reason. A seller can contribute funds to buy down your interest rate, which means a lower monthly payment, not a vague future maybe, an actual smaller number on your statement.

A temporary buydown drops your rate for the first year or two before it settles, easing you into ownership while you get your footing. A permanent buydown lowers it for the life of the loan. Either way, the seller funds it with an upfront deposit, so the relief is real and it isn't coming out of your pocket.

If rates are the one thing holding you back from buying, this is the conversation to have. See exactly how our buydown programs work:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/buydown

Two of the most overlooked concessions are also two of the most practical. In a community with an HOA, a seller can agre...
08/20/2026

Two of the most overlooked concessions are also two of the most practical. In a community with an HOA, a seller can agree to cover your dues for a set period, taking a recurring cost off your plate during those first months when money is tightest.

A seller can also pay for a home warranty, a service contract that covers repair or replacement of major systems and appliances for the first year, so a surprise water heater or AC failure doesn't land on you right after closing.

Neither is as big as a closing cost credit, but both remove real worry from the early stretch of ownership, when you can least afford a surprise. Here's the full list of what's negotiable:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/seller-concessions

Here's something many buyers don't know until it's too late: seller concessions are capped, and the cap depends on your ...
08/19/2026

Here's something many buyers don't know until it's too late: seller concessions are capped, and the cap depends on your loan type. Conventional loans allow somewhere between 3% and 9% depending on your down payment. FHA and USDA allow up to 6%. VA covers closing costs plus up to 4% on other items.

These limits exist to keep the contribution tied to real costs, and if you negotiate for more than your loan allows, the excess usually just gets left on the table. Knowing your ceiling before you write an offer is how you ask for everything you're entitled to without overshooting.

The full breakdown by loan type is here:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/seller-concessions

Sometimes a seller won't budge on concessions. There's still a possible play, in one specific scenario. If your agent be...
08/18/2026

Sometimes a seller won't budge on concessions. There's still a possible play, in one specific scenario. If your agent believes the home could appraise for more than the list price, you could consider offering above asking and requesting that amount as seller-paid closing cost help.

Say a home is listed at $400,000, but your agent thinks it'll appraise at $410,000. You offer $405,000 and ask for $5,000 toward closing costs. The seller nets their price, and you get help with the cash you'd have brought to the table.

It only works if the appraisal supports it and your loan allows it, which is exactly the kind of thing to map out with your agent and loan officer before you write the offer. More on how concessions work:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/seller-concessions

Closing cost credits. Rate buydowns. HOA dues and home warranties. Contribution caps that change by loan type. And a bac...
08/17/2026

Closing cost credits. Rate buydowns. HOA dues and home warranties. Contribution caps that change by loan type. And a backup move when the seller won't budge.

Seller concessions are one of the most underused tools a buyer has, and the difference between getting them and missing them usually comes down to knowing what's possible before you write the offer. A buyer who understands concessions walks into a negotiation prepared. The one who doesn't could leave money on the table.

We put the full breakdown in one place so you can walk in ready. Read it here, then reach out this week to map it to your situation:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/seller-concessions

Speaking of closing costs, here's what catches people off guard. That 2% to 5% of your loan amount isn't one fee. It's a...
08/15/2026

Speaking of closing costs, here's what catches people off guard. That 2% to 5% of your loan amount isn't one fee. It's a stack of separate charges from your lender, your title company, your local government, and your insurance carrier. Most buyers see the whole list for the first time just days before closing.

So we built something to fix that. Our Closing Costs Guide walks through the fees in the order they show up on your Closing Disclosure, so when your paperwork arrives, you already know what each line is and why it's there. No surprises at the table.

Read the full line-by-line breakdown here:

https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/closing-costs

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