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The money
The one-time costs of creating your loan and transferring the home: lender fees, title work, government taxes, and pre-paid escrow — all itemized on your Loan Estimate.
Four families: lender charges (origination, underwriting, points), third-party services (appraisal, title search and insurance, settlement agent), government charges (recording fees and transfer taxes — genuinely large in MD, DC, and VA, and several jurisdictions reduce them for first-time buyers, which is worth asking about every time), and prepaids (first insurance premium, tax escrow, per-day interest).
Two levers most buyers don't know they have: seller credits (negotiated in the offer) and closing-cost assistance programs, both of which appear as credits in your Cash to Close.
The Loan Estimate itemizes every one of these within three days of applying — and some of them are legally not allowed to grow by closing. Our walkthrough shows which.
Source: CFPB — Loan Estimate explainer
Who confirms it for you: Your Loan Estimate is the real answer for your loan; the title company quotes the transfer taxes.
Educational, not advice — and never an eligibility determination. Program rules and loan requirements change; the cited source and the named confirmer are the authorities for your case.