How can I save on closing costs when buying a home?
Do I need to pay for an inspection, or am I likely to save enough money from skipping it to cover potential problems that they would have caught?  A home inspection costs hundreds of dollars.  The average is $315.  Inspections regularly catch things that cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix, e.g. a new roof or a cracked foundation.   You also might find that a home inspection is required for your mortgage.   do I need a realtor, or can I do their job myself? Unless you are a licensed realtor or you buy directly from a seller without a realtor, the fee (charged to the seller) will be the same regardless of whether you have a realtor.  The seller's realtor will share the fee with your realtor if you have one.  So you can do the work yourself (perhaps not as well), but you won't save money by doing so.   If you have a lot of flexibility in when you purchase, you could look for especially cheap properties with motivated sellers.  Arrange financing ahead of time (before you find a house), so you can close quickly.  Some sellers will give you a discounted price to finish the sale quickly.  Even small savings on the price of a house will outweigh most savings on closing costs.