Step 28: Attend the signing

Within about a week of the closing date we will schedule an appointment with the escrow company to go in and sign all of the closing documents. This date is almost always in advance of the closing date itself by a few days. Usually the last thing we’re waiting on is getting the loan documents from the lender, which is why it’s so important to return requested paperwork to the lender as quickly as practical.

At the closing appointment you’ll want to bring a picture ID to sign the escrow officer’s notary log and also have brought in a cashier’s check or wired money for the funds you need to provide for the purchase. The escrow officer will walk you through all of the paperwork that’s needed to sign and with a loan it’s quite extensive. If you’re someone who wants to read everything, it’s best to try and get most of the documents in advance as a thorough reading would take hours. The closing process itself doesn’t take very long usually and should be a happy time as it’s nearly the culmination of the purchase journey.

You can close on the home without being in town, as long as there’s some advance notice to prepare for that scenario. If you know you’re not going to be in town around the closing we can arrange for the documents to be signed earlier than usual or sent via mail out of state if you’re buying a seasonal home for instance. This is performed with relative frequency, but let us know as soon as possible as it does add at least 4-5 days to the closing timeline. We’ll communicate the particulars to the escrow company and they’ll be able to make the necessary arrangements and the lender will also need to be kept in the loop as they’ll have to provide their documentation earlier than normal too.

Next: Get the keys