Ready to get the keys to your new home yet?  If your home inspection and appraisal have been completed, any potential issues have been resolved or negotiated, and you have turned in any additional documentation required by the mortgage officer you should be really close to closing.  At this point, you are just waiting for a “Clear to Close” from the mortgage company saying that you are finally approved and have a green light to schedule your closing. 

Once your agent receives a Clear to Close, there are still a few things that everyone needs to do before closing.  First, your agent should be working with your mortgage officer and title company to ensure that all lending and title documents are being combined and sent to the seller’s title company.  You will receive a final settlement figure from your agent or mortgage officer with the exact dollar and cents amount that you will need to bring with you to closing, along with instructions for your closing funds.  The title company will either require you to bring certified funds with you to closing or wire the funds.  Either way, the title company will give you all of the details you need in order to make sure things are done correctly.

In addition to the final paperwork aspects of closing, you and your agent will want to schedule a final walkthrough of your new home, for the day of closing if possible.  Since you probably haven’t been in your soon to be home for a few weeks, this final walkthrough gives you the opportunity to ensure that the seller has maintained the property and that there hasn’t been any new damage to the property.  If you do notice new damage to the property you will want to have your agent notify the listing agent immediately so something can be worked out.  In most cases though, the final walkthrough should go smoothly and you can head off to your closing.

Once you have scheduled your closing, the title and mortgage companies have all cooperated in getting the full closing package together, and you have completed your final walkthrough you should find yourself sitting at a conference table with the sellers and a few title company agents – and your hand may or not be cramping from signing and initialing on what seems to be an endless number of pages. J As soon as you are done signing on the very last page though you are officially a homeowner!  YAY!

Now, fast forward a little while and you are relaxing on a couch in your new home, thinking about how painless the home buying process was now that it is done.  Congratulations!