Mortgage Closing Checklist

The transaction coordinator opens the loop in Dotloop or SkySlope and links the ratified contract, addenda, agency disclosure, and lender intro email. Files opened late are the most common reason TRID timing gets blown.

These two values drive several downstream branches — pre-1978 homes require a lead-based paint disclosure with the EPA pamphlet and 10-day inspection opportunity; FHA, VA, and USDA loans each carry their own appraisal and condition requirements.

For pre-1978 properties, deliver the federal LBP disclosure form, the EPA 'Protect Your Family from Lead' pamphlet, and confirm the 10-day inspection opportunity (or signed waiver). Missing this triggers EPA penalties and gives the buyer rescission rights.

State license law requires agency disclosure at first substantive contact. Verify the form in the file matches the agency relationship actually being practiced — buyer's agent, dual agent (where permitted with written consent), or transaction broker. File-review citations on this are common.

Check in with the loan officer that the file moved from processing to underwriting. Pre-approval is not commitment — the agent's milestones are conditional approval, then clear-to-close.

Lenders pull a verbal verification of employment within 10 days of closing. Job changes mid-contract are a common deal-killer; flag any client career moves to the LO immediately.

Soft credit pull before CTC catches new tradelines, balance increases, or score drops that retrigger underwriting. Remind the borrower in writing: no new credit, no large deposits, no job changes until after funding.

Lender orders through the AMC; agents do not select the appraiser. Confirm the order date with the LO so the appraisal-contingency calendar is accurate.

Pull the appraisal report and check the value against the contract price before the appraisal contingency expires. A low appraisal triggers either a price reduction, an appraisal-gap contribution from the buyer, or a contingency exit — none of which can be negotiated after the deadline.

Three paths: seller reduces price to appraised value, buyer brings additional cash to cover the gap (lender will only finance against appraised value), or buyer terminates under the appraisal contingency. Document the chosen path in an addendum before the contingency expires.

Open with the settlement agent or closing attorney, depending on whether you're in an escrow state or an attorney state. Confirm the legal description matches the contract — typo-driven legal description errors are a recording-rejection cause.

Common Schedule B exceptions to flag: undischarged mortgages, mechanic's liens, unrecorded easements, HOA estoppel issues, judgments against parties with similar names, and tax liens. Send the commitment to the listing agent if any items require seller action.

Coordinate payoff requests, lien releases, or affidavits with the settlement agent. Title issues discovered after the Closing Disclosure goes out usually force a CD revision and a new three-business-day waiting period — pushing the close.

TRID requires the borrower to receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before consummation. APR changes, loan-product changes, or prepayment-penalty additions trigger a new three-day clock — protect the close date by reviewing fees the moment the CD lands.

Walk the zero, ten-percent, and unlimited tolerance buckets. Anything outside tolerance is a lender cure obligation, not a cost the borrower absorbs. Document any disagreement in writing before signing.

Call the settlement agent at a known phone number from their website — never a number from the email. Wire fraud through email-spoofed escrow instructions is the most expensive single failure mode in this workflow; the FBI IC3 reports hundreds of millions in real estate wire losses annually. Coach the buyer to do the same before sending funds.

Walk the property within 24 hours of closing — verify negotiated repairs are completed, all systems are operational, and the property is in substantially the same condition as at contract. Walkthrough findings after signing have almost no leverage.

Lock in time and location with the settlement agent, both agents, the lender (if attending), and the parties. Remote online notarization (RON) is permitted in most states — confirm the lender allows RON for this loan product before assuming.

Confirm notarization is complete on the security instrument and any documents going to recording. A missed notary stamp is a same-day fix at the table and a multi-day delay if discovered after the parties leave.

Settlement agent submits to the county recorder; agent confirms the recording number once back. Recording-rejection causes worth knowing: legal-description errors, missing notary, missing transfer-tax stamp, and mismatched grantor names.

Reconcile commission lines on the ALTA Settlement Statement against the listing agreement and the buyer-broker agreement. Post-NAR-settlement, buyer-side compensation is negotiated separately and not advertised in MLS — confirm the source document for each side before disbursement.

Most MLSs require status changes within 24-72 hours of closing with the correct sold price. Late changes generate fines and degrade comp data for everyone in the market.