Contract to Closing Checklist for Buyers

Verify every page is signed, every initial line is initialed, and the effective date is filled in. The effective date drives every contingency deadline downstream — getting this wrong cascades into missed inspection or financing windows.

Calendar inspection objection, financing contingency, appraisal contingency, HOA document review, and closing date — with a 2-day buffer reminder before each. Missed inspection objection windows are one of the most common ways buyers waive rights.

Walk the buyer through the compensation terms in their signed buyer rep agreement and how that interacts with seller-offered concessions in the contract. Post-NAR-settlement, buyer agent compensation is no longer published in MLS and must be reconciled deal-by-deal.

Most state commissions require EMD deposit within 3 business days of contract acceptance — late deposit is a license violation. Have the buyer call the escrow agent at a known number to verify wire instructions verbally; never trust wire instructions arriving by email PDF.

Walk through the disclosure with the buyer line by line — flag any disclosed defects (foundation, roof, prior flooding, septic) for inspector follow-up. Confirm lead-based paint disclosure and EPA pamphlet were delivered if the home was built before 1978.

Order the estoppel letter, current CC&Rs, bylaws, financials, and meeting minutes. Some states (CA, FL, VA) trigger buyer rescission rights if HOA docs aren't delivered within a statutory window — track the order with a deadline.

Book early in the option/inspection period so there's runway to add specialty inspections (sewer scope, termite/WDO, radon, mold, pool) and still meet the objection deadline. Confirm the inspector carries E&O.

Meet the inspector in the final hour for the verbal walkthrough so the buyer can ask questions in front of the findings rather than reading a 60-page PDF cold. Take notes on items the inspector flags as priority versus cosmetic.

Categorize findings into safety/structural, system end-of-life, and cosmetic. Decide with the buyer whether to proceed as-is, request repairs or credits, or terminate — this decision drives the next step.

Use the state-form inspection objection / repair request and submit before the deadline; one day late and the buyer waives objection rights. Specify whether the buyer wants repairs completed by a licensed contractor, a closing credit, or a price reduction.

Read Schedule B-II for easements, encroachments, restrictive covenants, and outstanding liens. Flag anything that affects use (utility easements crossing the build area, unrecorded HOA assessments, mechanic's liens) for the title officer to clear before closing.

Confirm the lender has ordered the appraisal through their AMC and provide the listing agent with access instructions. Send the appraiser a comp packet with recent in-neighborhood closings — appraisers are not required to use them but often do.

Compare the appraised value to the contract price. A low appraisal triggers the appraisal contingency — the buyer can renegotiate, cover the gap in cash, or terminate. Don't let the appraisal contingency expire before this decision is made.

Options: seller drops to appraised value, buyer brings cash to cover the gap, parties split the difference, or buyer terminates under the appraisal contingency. Document the resolution in a written amendment before the contingency expires.

Coach the buyer to clear all conditions — updated pay stubs, gift letters, bank statements, source-of-funds explanations — promptly. Remind them not to open new credit, change jobs, or make large deposits between application and funding; any of these can blow up underwriting.

Pre-approval and conditional approval are not the same as CTC. Get written CTC from the loan officer before assuming the financing contingency can be released. If CTC slips past the contingency expiration, draft an extension before the deadline.

Buyer selects a carrier, binds the policy effective on the closing date, and sends the declarations page to the lender. Lenders won't fund without a bound policy on file — leaving this to closing week is a common cause of delays.

Pull the FEMA flood map or have the lender's flood cert. If the property is in zone A or V, NFIP or private flood is required by the lender. Quotes can take a week — start early.

Walk within 24 hours of closing. Verify that agreed repairs were completed with receipts, that included personal property is still in place, and that all systems (HVAC, water heater, appliances) operate. Photograph any new damage from the move-out.

Under TRID, the CD must be in the buyer's hands at least 3 business days before consummation. Compare the CD line-by-line to the most recent Loan Estimate and flag any tolerance violations to the lender before closing day.

Have the buyer call the escrow officer at a number from the title company's website — never a number in the wire-instruction email. Wire fraud at this stage is the single largest source of catastrophic loss for buyers; verbal verification is the only reliable mitigation.

Buyer signs the note, deed of trust, CD, and ALTA settlement statement. Keys transfer at funding and recording — not at signing in dry-funding states. File the closed transaction and update MLS status within the MLS-required window (commonly 48 hours).