Lastly, a good lender will be a help when you get ready to make an offer. Some loan programs allow the sellers to pay a percentage of your closing costs, so in some cases you might want to offer more and ask the seller to pay costs. Even if you have a substantial down payment, it could make a difference in your overall costs. For instance, it could push you over the 20% down payment that eliminates Private Mortgage Insurance. Your lender will advise you about how to structure your offer to make best use of your own cash.