If you’re a first-time home buyer, you may have realized that the check that you hand over to your landlord for rent each month is as much or more than a mortgage payment. Knowing this, many in your shoes pack up and start searching for a house to buy.

But there is more to paying for a house than sending in your mortgage payment each month, and these fees tend to sneak up on homebuyers if you aren’t aware of them. Some of these fees are avoidable; some are not.

Here’s how to avoid hidden fees when buying a home.

Know Your Loan

If you are using a loan to buy your house, consider each of your options carefully. Some loans offer low or no down payment but compensate for it in the loan somehow.

For example, FHA loans are great for first-time homebuyers who don’t have a 20% down payment or who have a lower credit score. This loan has helped many people become homebuyers who wouldn’t be able to otherwise. This loan has hidden fees, though, that . ...