closing fees + which services to select

[Jeffrey Grieshop]

Hey BP, I was looking at a particular lender. I was amazed at the options, to be honest. There are 30, 20, and 15-year loans with many rate varieties. The lower rates always incur larger closing costs. Seeing this many options, I guess, was new to me and I was surprised at just how many options this lender offered.

I am considering a loan and I input the variables accordingly. Everyone wants to have the lowest closing costs but I must make sure I am covered. With that said, could some of these coverages be added or not depending on the scenarios? For instance, if you are purchasing from a long-time colleague or friend vs. an unknown cold-call, could those scenarios require different services selected at closing?

Which services do I need for sure? I highlighted the ones that look to be guaranteed in red, and the optional ones in blue. I did that correctly right? Are there services in the blue that you deem mandatory?

For this particular loan, I selected 20% down and the loan did not generate. I upped the loan to ~26% down and I got loan details. So, it seems I had to put a little more down with this lender. 

While we are on topic, does anyone have input on whether or not to escrow or what I should be considering when making a decision? I will search the forums for this information. Thanks