Buying a home—especially as a first-time buyer—can feel overwhelming. Between the paperwork, the loan process, and the expenses, it’s easy to feel unprepared for the costs involved.

Unless you’re paying all cash, you’ll already be planning for a monthly mortgage payment. But what often surprises buyers are the additional fees due at closing, known as closing costs or settlement costs. These are the charges you must pay before you receive the keys to your new home.

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to wait until closing day to find out what these fees are. Thanks to federal law, your lender must provide a Good Faith Estimate (GFE)—a detailed breakdown of your estimated closing costs—within three business days of your mortgage application. If mailed, this requirement is still considered met within that timeframe.