Get ready for yet another cost when buying a home: Junk fees

Some real estate agents and researchers say home buyers and sellers should not pay this out-of-pocket fee.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4032x3024+0+0/resize/4032x3024!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F61%2F25%2F15d5ea6c40c29a4a99d4b6e0c477%2Fimg-1869.jpeg' alt='Kelly MacDonald holds her dog in front of her five bedroom home in a Cincinnati suburb on September, 11 2026.'/><p>Some real estate agents and researchers say home buyers and sellers should not pay this out-of-pocket fee.</p><p>(Image credit: Patrick Apfelbeck)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5968763' />