Closing process
Contract to keys, one step at a time
A typical financed Florida closing runs 30 to 45 days. Cash closings can run in two weeks. Here is exactly what happens, in order, and what we need from you at each point.
- 01
Day 1
Contract executed & file opened
The fully signed contract reaches us and we open the file the same business day. We confirm the parties, the closing date, the deposit schedule, and the financing terms, then send an acknowledgment to everyone on the transaction so all sides know the file is live.
What you do
Send the executed contract with all addenda, and let us know immediately if the property is held in a trust or entity, if an owner is deceased, or if there is a divorce, short sale, or foreclosure in the history.
- 02
Days 1–3
Escrow deposit received
The initial deposit is wired or delivered to our escrow trust account and receipted in writing. The contract sets the deadline — missing it is a default, so this is not a step to be casual about.
What you do
Call our office to verify wire instructions before sending money. Verify by phone using a number you already have, never a number in an email. Wire fraud in real estate is common, fast, and usually irreversible.
- 03
Days 2–10
Title search ordered & examined
We search the public record for the chain of title and everything attached to the property — mortgages, judgments, liens, easements, restrictions, taxes, and probate. Our title agent examines the results and determines what must be resolved for the title to be marketable and insurable.
What you do
Nothing yet. This is our work.
- 04
Days 5–14
Title commitment issued
The commitment goes to the buyer, seller, both agents, and the lender. Schedule A states who is insured and for how much. Schedule B-I lists the requirements that must be satisfied before the policy issues. Schedule B-II lists the exceptions — what the policy will not cover.
What you do
Read it, and read it early. Your contract gives you a limited window to object to title defects. Ask us about anything on Schedule B you do not understand — that is what we are here for.
- 05
Weeks 2–4
Clearing title & ordering the rest
In parallel we order the municipal lien search, HOA or condominium estoppel letter, mortgage payoff statements, and any releases or corrective documents the commitment requires. Estoppels and payoffs are the two most common causes of delay — associations and servicers move on their own schedule, so we order early and follow up hard.
What you do
If you are the seller, provide association contact details and your lender's loan number promptly. If a permit was ever pulled on the property and never closed out, tell us now rather than on closing day.
- 06
Weeks 3–5
Lender clears to close
Underwriting finishes, the appraisal and any conditions are satisfied, and the lender issues closing instructions and the loan package to us. We prepare the settlement statement and reconcile it against the lender's Closing Disclosure so that both documents agree before anything is signed.
What you do
Buyers: do not change jobs, open credit accounts, or make large deposits during this window. Lenders re-verify before funding, and it derails closings routinely.
- 07
3+ days before closing
Final figures & closing disclosure
Federal rule requires the buyer to receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before consummation on most residential loans. We send final figures — including the exact amount to bring — so there are no surprises at the table.
What you do
Review every line. Confirm the amount to wire and confirm the wire instructions by phone. Bring government-issued photo ID.
- 08
Closing
Closing day
Documents are signed — deed, mortgage, note, affidavits, and disclosures — in our office, by mobile notary, or remotely where the transaction permits. We collect and verify all funds before anything is released.
What you do
Buyers should walk the property before signing. Sellers should bring keys, garage remotes, gate fobs, and association access codes.
- 09
Same or next day
Recording & disbursement
The deed and mortgage are recorded in the county's official records, and we disburse: seller proceeds, mortgage payoffs, commissions, association dues, taxes, and every other line on the settlement statement.
What you do
Nothing. Watch for the recorded documents to come back with their book and page numbers.
- 10
After recording
Policy issued
Once the recorded instruments come back and the search is updated through recording, we issue the final owner's and lender's title policies. Your owner's policy is a permanent document — it does not expire while you hold an interest in the property.
What you do
Store the policy with your deed and keep it. If you ever sell or refinance, that policy may earn a reissue credit for the next buyer — or for you.
Wire fraud
The one warning worth repeating
Real estate wire fraud is the most expensive thing that can happen to a closing, and it happens to careful people.
We do not change wire instructions by email
If you receive an email — even one that appears to come from us, with our logo and our signature — announcing new or updated wiring instructions, it is fraud. Do not act on it. Call us.
Always verify by voice
Before sending any funds, call our office using a number you obtained independently, not one from the email. Read the account and routing numbers back and have us confirm them out loud.
Act within hours if it happens
If you suspect a wire went to the wrong account, call your bank immediately to request a recall, then contact us and file with the FBI's IC3. Recovery is sometimes possible in the first 24 to 72 hours and rarely after.
Bring to closing
Closing day checklist
Buyers
- Government-issued photo ID for every person on title
- Wired funds sent in advance, or a cashier's check if instructed
- Proof of homeowner's insurance with the lender listed as mortgagee
- Entity or trust documents if title is being taken in a non-individual name
Sellers
- Government-issued photo ID for every person on title
- All keys, remotes, fobs, gate codes, and mailbox keys
- Wire instructions for your proceeds, provided directly to our office
- Warranties, permits, and association documents for the buyer
Have a contract in hand?
Send it over and we will open the file and order the search today.