Getting the best deal on your mortgage isn’t just about haggling with the seller or talking your realtor into accepting a lower commission. When you look at your loan estimate, you’ll see that you’re being charged three to six percent of your home’s selling price in closing costs.

These costs include some fees that you can’t negotiate, but they also include some that you can.

So, to get the best deal on your mortgage, you need to know which closing costs are negotiable. You can save a lot just by comparison shopping for mortgage brokers. You can also save by closing at a certain time of the month or taking advantage of state and local homebuyer assistance programs.

Here’s what you need to know.

Get Several Loan Estimates

Getting a mortgage is just like any other major purchase – you have to shop around for the best deal on your loan fees and closing costs. Get loan estimates from several mortgage brokers in Charlottesville, VA, or wherever you plan to buy.

A loan estimate doesn’t come with any obligation to actually take the loan – it merely lays out your expected loan terms and closing costs. Pay attention to the origination fee, which can vary significantly from one lender to the next.

Shop Around Where You Can

On the second page of your loan estimate, you’ll find a list of services you can shop for. These typically include pest inspections, surveys, and title services fees.

You may also be able to shop around for other services related to your loan closing – for example, you could save hundreds by getting quotes on homeowners insurance, and steep discounts for bundling your home insurance with your car insurance and life insurance.

If you need a buyer’s attorney in your state, you should shop around for that too – fees can range from a few hundred bucks to a grand or more. And you might not even need a survey if the seller has done one recently. You can pull survey results from the municipal or county clerk’s office yourself.

Question Your Lender’s Origination Fees

Origination fees are fees your lender charges you to cover the cost of processing your application. They can vary from one lender to the next – some don’t even charge them. Typically, though, if you’re not paying origination fees, you’re paying a higher interest rate.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t question origination fees as they appear in your loan estimate, especially if you really want to work with a specific lender. Ask how you can lower the origination fee. You may be able to get a discount from your preferred lender, especially if you can show that other lenders are offering lower fees.

Close at the End of the Month

Once you close on your mortgage, interest begins accruing – and part of your closing costs will include per-diem interest payments for each day between the day of close and the end of the month. So, closing at the end of the month will bring those interest charges down. You’ll need less cash to close.

However, your first mortgage payment is due on the first of the month 30 days after your closing date. So if you close at the end of the month, you’re going to have to make your next mortgage payment a little sooner. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – you’ll begin paying down your mortgage sooner.

You may also find that delays are more common in end-of-the-month closings.

Get Help with Closing Costs

You may be eligible for the down payment and closing cost assistance from state and local programs, especially if you’re a first-time homebuyer. You may not have to be a true first-time buyer – many such programs only require that you haven’t owned a home within the last three years, or, if you’re single, that you haven’t owned a home recently aside from one owned with a spouse.

Many of these programs offer grants that you don’t have to pay back. Some may require that you take a course in homeownership. Others may require that you belong to a specific profession or buy a home owned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

You have to be a savvy consumer to get the best deal on your mortgage. It takes a lot of legwork to find better deals on services like surveys and inspections, but you could realize thousands of dollars in savings – and that’s money you can put into cleaning, decorating, and renovating your new home.