# 302-11.200 Reimbursable expenses for sale and/or purchase of a residence.
Provided the residence transaction expenses are customarily charged to the seller of a residence in the locality of the old official station or paid by the purchaser at the new official station, agencies will, with appropriate supporting documentation provided by the employee, reimburse the following residence transaction expenses when they are incurred by the employee incident to the relocation:
(a) Broker's fee or real estate commission for the sale of the employee's residence at the old official station or purchase of a new residence at the new official station that the employee pays, not to exceed the rates that are generally charged in the locality of the old or new official stations;
(b) The customary cost for an appraisal;
(c) The costs of newspaper, bulletin board, multiple-listing services, and online or other advertising for sale of the residence at the old official station that is not included in the broker's fee or the real estate agent's commission;
(d) The cost of a title insurance policy, costs of preparing conveyances, other instruments, and contracts and related notary fees and recording fees; cost of making surveys, preparing drawings or plats when required for legal or financing purposes; and similar expenses incurred for selling the residence to the extent such costs:
(1) Have not been included in other residence transaction fees (*i.e.,* brokers' fees or real estate agent fees);
(2) Do not exceed the charges, for such expenses, that are normally charged in the locality of the residence; and
(3) Are usually furnished by the seller;
(e) The costs of searching title, preparing abstracts, and the legal fees for a title opinion to the extent such costs:
(1) Have not been included in other related transaction costs (*i.e.,* broker's fees or real estate agency fees); and
(2) Do not exceed the charges, for such expenses, that are customarily charged in the locality of the residence; and
(f) The following “other” miscellaneous expenses in connection with the sale and/or purchase of a residence, provided they are normally paid by the seller or the purchaser in the locality of the residence, to the extent that they do not exceed specifically stated limitations, or if not specifically stated, the amounts customarily paid in the locality of the residence:
(1) Federal Housing Administration or Department of Veterans Affairs fees for the loan application;
(2) Loan origination fees and similar charges such as loan assumption fees, loan transfer fees or other similar charges not to exceed 1 percent of the loan amount without itemization of the lender's administrative charges if the charges are assessed in lieu of a loan origination fee and reflect charges for services similar to those covered by a loan origination fee. Reimbursement may exceed 1 percent only when the employee provides evidence that the higher rate does not include prepaid interest, points, or a mortgage discount, and is customarily charged in the locality where the residence is located;
(3) Cost of preparing credit reports;
(4) Mortgage and transfer taxes;
(5) State revenue stamps;
(6) Other fees and charges similar in nature to those listed in paragraphs (f)(1) through (5) of this section, unless specifically prohibited in § 302-11.201;
(7) Charge for prepayment of a mortgage or other security instrument in connection with the sale of the residence at the old official station to the extent the terms in the mortgage or other security instrument provide for this charge. This prepayment penalty is also reimbursable when the mortgage or other security instrument does not specifically provide for prepayment, provided this penalty is customarily charged by the lender, but in that case the reimbursement may not exceed 3 months' interest on the loan balance;
(8) Mortgage title insurance policy, paid by the employee, on a residence purchased for the protection of, and required by, the lender;
(9) Owner's title insurance policy, provided it is a prerequisite to financing or the transfer of the property; or if the cost of the owner's title insurance policy is inseparable from the cost of other insurance which is a prerequisite;
(10) Expenses in connection with construction of a residence, which are comparable to expenses that are reimbursable in connection with the purchase of an existing residence;
(11) Expenses in connection with environmental testing and property inspection fees when required by Federal, State, or local law; or by the lender as a precondition to sale or purchase; and
(12) Other expenses of sale and purchase made for required services that are customarily paid by the seller of a residence at the old official station or if customarily paid by the purchaser of a residence at the new official station.