Lenders look at 3 aspects when considering a loan:  credit-worthiness (thus, the credit report fee), value of the collateral (thus, the appraisal) and status of title (thus, the title report).  For years, lenders have been collecting an up-front "application fee" to cover the cost of the appraisal and credit report.  This came about only because the providers united and dug their heels in.  They would NOT provide their services unless payment was guaranteed--they had been "stiffed" too many times. 

Title providers don't have a united front.  If I won't provide the work, someone else will.  I've asked local mortgage brokers and lenders to consider collecting another $150 to cover title costs "just in case it doesn't close", and the response is as if I'm speaking a foreign language.  One closing attorney here in SC (yes, we're the last mandated attorney-closing State), has his abstractors agree that if the deal doesn't close, they won't look for payment.  I can't imagine the amount of work those girls do, for free, just because this attorney wants to keep the massive volume of closing work.  They want to keep his business, so they agree.  As long as there are people that desperate out there, with so little self-esteem and pride in the profession, we'll all continue to get pushed around.