New York has costliest mortgage fees

For the third year in a row, New York has the most expensive mortgage origination and closing fees in the country, according to Bankrate.com's exclusive annual survey.

A resident of New York City getting a $200,000 mortgage would pay an average $3,830 in origination, title and closing costs, according to Bankrate's survey of lenders. On the other end of the scale, an Indianapolis resident would pay $2,339 for the same loan, or $1,491 less.

Texas has the second-highest origination and closing costs. The Lone Star State was No. 2 last year, too. After New York and Texas, the top five are rounded out by Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The most populous state, California, was the 17th most expensive.

After Indiana, the least expensive states in which to get a mortgage are Wyoming, Illinois, Nevada and North Carolina, according to Bankrate's survey.

For all states and the District of Columbia, total origination and closing costs averaged $2,736. Minnesota and West Virginia both sported the median of $2,692 -- 24 states, plus D.C., were more expensive, and 24 states were less expensive.

Why fees vary
Mortgage-related fees vary from place to place because of differing taxes, customs and regulations.

Bankrate's rankings don't include taxes and government fees that are passed on directly to the consumer as line items on the HUD-1 summary of closing costs. But New York has the uncommon practice of levying mortgage recording taxes directly on lenders instead of on borrowers. Naturally, these charges are passed on to consumers in the fees charged by lenders.