AE Todd wrote:

Please forgive this slightly off topic post, but since all of you are
homeowners, maybe you have some thoughts on this. I am going to
refinance in the near future, and I have a GFE with an origination fee
of 1%. Can anyone tell me just what an origination fee really is? Is
it like going to a car dealership and seeing "extra dealer markup" on
the sticker? Is the origination fee generally non-negotiable? Thanks
for your thoughts on this.

Exactly, except that _everything_ on a mortgage is negotiable, especially these
days. At least assuming your credit is sterling. Your broker/bank/mortgage
company/whatever can play with the rate to make the fees go away, or conversely,
you can buy down the rate by paying points.

Assuming the only reason you need to refi is to take advantage of lower rates,
you are in the driver's seat. You need to get two or three quotes and compare...