IMMEDIATELY UPON ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINAL CONTRACT:

• Order a home inspection
• Order a Termite Clearance Letter (although no longer required, still recommended)
• Consider also ordering wind mitigation report to save money on homeowner’s insurance.
• Provide your lender with a copy of the contract and discuss locking in your interest rate (Remember: You will usually have five days from the date of the contract to apply for the mortgage loan, which is why it’s important to be pre-approved before you start looking for a home)

DURING THE HOMEINSPECTION:

• Take any measurements for furniture, window treatments, appliances, etc. that you may need
• Take any photos of the house, if desired
• Ask the home inspector any questions you may have concerning the home’s condition or construction

ONE TO TWO WEEKS FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVEDATE:

• Reserve a moving truck or schedule a moving service
• Schedule the closing date with the title company
• Notify lender to order appraisal

TWO WEEKS BEFORECLOSING DATE:

• Contact insurance company to set up homeowner’s policy to be in effect day of closing
• Call lender and inquire if additional information is needed
• Get a change of address package from the post office andbegin notification process

ONE WEEK BEFORE CLOSING:

• Make contact with lender to ensure that closing date is on schedule
• Get directions to closing attorney’s office (Your agent will usually provide this information)
• Schedule utility transfers

THREE DAYS BEFORECLOSING:

• Ask lender for final closing disclosure, new law requires that to be available 3 days before consummation, which is a new word for closing.
• Consider purchasing a Home Warranty and discuss benefits with your real estate agent
• Request all copies of the paperwork from the title company if you plan to read each one in detail, since there will not be time to read over everything at the closing itself

DAY BEFORE CLOSING:

• Conduct a walk-through to verify the condition of the house is the same as when placed under contract
• Be sure to double-check that inspection items have been addressed
• Review the Closing Settlement to verify that the terms of the contract are correct
• Get wire sent for closing

DAY OF CLOSING:

• Bring photo ID
• Bring copy of the wire receipt (recommended)
• Bring any additional documents requested by the lender
• Depending if you are paying cash or getting financing you may be able to close at home via RON (Remote Online Notary).

CELEBRATE!

I hope this was helpful in elevating some anxiety about what is to come. It’s no big deal after you have done it once. Remember, your trusty real estate agent is on your side and there to guide you every step of the way.