Nozz,
I HAVE on ALL of my transactions this year adjusted my commission to what best suited my clients. I have lowered my side on both buying and selling, so that the sale would be more profitable for my client wheter being the one to buy or sell. Everyone says that closing costs are typically 3% of the loan...which is a lie. It doesn't make sense when someone charges: 900 loan origination, plus 900 broker's fees (for the loan broker, her boss), then 500 for loan underwriting, 400 for loan processing, 800 for a title search, 300 title processing, 300 title underwriting, and about 3K in other misc. charges, then fees state charges (which there is NO way to get around mrotgage tax, doc. stamps, recording fees etc), and so on. When it came down to it, they were about to spend 6k in closing costs on a 60,000 loan. Most first time home buyers in my area buy in the 70's 100,000. The economy is different. So to ask if I fix my commission, the deal is, when your house is worth less then you're paying less to sell it, which means I make less than those who live in states where houses are more expensive. Of course realtors and loan officers make more in other places, selling a starter home is different and even though loan papers are the same, the incomes and house values are different and so the charges have to be comperable to what is fair to charge people based on their income. If they had 6K to put towards closing costs, don't you think they would have had the money to buy a larger home?

Anyway, they shopped around, and found a place that would get them a loan, and was more reasonable and are paying 3K in closing costs.