In Kenneth R. Harney’s article [A Good-Faith Effort To Clean Up Estimates [Washington Post]](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012700706.html) finally there is some good news on some costs associated with housing.

“It’s a distressingly familiar scenario for home buyers and refinancers, and it was one of the major mortgage-related consumer complaints to federal agencies in 2005: “good-faith estimates” of settlement costs that turn out to be hundreds, even thousands, of dollars off the mark.”

>Federal housing officials are working on possible
>remedies, but here’s some unexpected good
>news: Mortgage lenders are, too. Growing
>numbers of them have gotten the message from
> their customers — we demand certainty about
>fees — and they are debuting new ways to turn
> their estimates into binding promises.

Harney mentions a few lenders that are seeing the importance of fixing the closing costs. Its sounds like a good idea. Lets hope its contagious.