Your offer was accepted! Now the work really starts.
Depending on your source of funding, it could take several weeks before you are able to close and you'll have a lot of work to do in the meantime.
This period is also referred to as the "due diligence period" because it's during this time that you'll find out more about the property. You'll complete any necessary inspections and work on completing your financing. You’ll be working mostly with the mortgage and title companies during this period and you’ll hear from them often. Respond to their requests as quickly as possible to make your closing smoother and faster!
The biggest determinant in how quickly your loan closes is you. You can speed up the process by quickly responding to calls or email requests from the mortgage company. You’ll hear from them often, so be sure to stay on the ball. The longer you take, the longer it will take to close on your loan and home.
Preclosing resources:
Know Your Options Pre-closing
Trulia Closing on a house
Atlantic Bay Your offer was accepted - now what?
What happens during pre-closing
You will officially apply for the mortgage once the offer on the home is accepted. You already have a mortgage preapproval, but now you can shop around for better mortgage terms.
The application for the mortgage will be much more intensive than the pre-approval. The mortgage underwriter will have to finalize the mortgage application and that means they need to verify your information, request and review more financial documents, and verify that the property meets certain requirements.
Here's what the lender will request from you:
Tax returns and W-2s for at least the last two years
If someone gives you money (like a family member), you will have to fill out a form noting it and getting their signature.
Mortgage application document checklist:
Wells Fargo Home Application Checklist
Bank of America How to apply for a mortgage
The lender has to check your credit and you will pay for this out of pocket.
Appraisal or Price Estimate
Lenders will require you to have an appraisal completed on the home since they want to make sure the money they are lending isn't more than what the home is worth. YELLOW has completed a certified appraisal on some homes and it may be accepted by the lender. Homes with only price estimates will be required to have an appraisal.
The appraiser will produce a report that shows the fair market value of the home by comparing it to recently sold homes in the neighborhood. Also, the report will list detailed information about the property and the neighborhood. You will pay for this out of pocket.
More on comparable sales (or "comps" in real estate lingo):
The Balance What are comparable sales?
YELLOW has already completed an inspection report for every home listed with us, but many buyers may choose to do an additional inspection.
All inspections are completed by completely independent inspectors to prevent any conflicts of interest.
The inspection uncovers any potential issues with the home - structural, plumbing, electrical, etc. - that may not be visible when you visited the property.
Nearly every home inspection - even those on new homes - will turn up some issues. Some are minor and can either be ignored or resolved through negotiations. However, some cannot be ignored. You can make a list of issues you’d like addressed by the seller and the seller can negotiate what they’re willing to (and not willing to) fix. If an agreement cannot be reached you can walk away from the property without penalty.
NOTE: If the home is vacant, you’ll need to contact the utility companies (power and water) to get services turned on if you’d like to do an inspection. This is not an uncommon request and the utility companies can assist you with this process.
More on inspections:
NOLO Getting a Home Inspection
HomeLight Your Complete Home Inspection Cost Breakdown
The Balance Home Inspections
The Mortgage Reports Home inspection checklist: What to expect on inspection day
The Mortgage Reports What to look for in a home inspection: Recognizing the deal breakers
A WDO (wood destroying organism) inspection report is separate from the home inspection discussed above. It is done by a pest company where they inspect the home for evidence of an infestation or damage caused by wood destroying organisms. This report is often referred to as a termite inspection.
The WDO is typically requested by the mortgage company when you're applying for the mortgage and with FHA loans. Buyers will have to pay for this out of pocket.
The title company will likely do a property survey to ensure the piece of land you're buying is the accurate dimensions and acreage, and that none of your neighbors have encroached upon your property lines.
More on surveys:
Landmark HW What is a property survey and why is it important?
YELLOW has completed a title search for some homes listed with us, but homes without a title search will be required to do so.
The title company will complete a title search on the property to make sure there are no liens against the home and that it can legally be yours.
More on title searches:
Lending Home Title search and title insurance
Stewart Title Whats in a title search?
It’s possible to do a title search yourself, but you probably shouldn’t. If you want to do the work on your own, you'll have to go to the county records office. There are websites that can produce a report in within few minutes (Nextace.com or SearchQ.com) where you can download a title report that has mortgage record, ownership history, delinquent taxes even liens and foreclosure information. But this does not carry the same weight as the county report.
Trulia How to do a title search?
Even if the title company has done their homework, they might have overlooked something important that can come back to haunt you. Having title insurance can potentially help you to avoid a financial nightmare later on.
If you are taking out mortgage, the lender will most likely require you to purchase a lender’s title insurance. It covers the lender up to the amount of the loan in the event that any problems arise with the home’s title after financing.
A separate owner’s policy is issued for the amount you paid for the home. It covers a broad range of problems that may arise. This includes deed errors or omissions, tax liens, fraud, forgery of deed documents, and mistakes in the public record. It also covers you if the heirs of any previous owners make a claim on the property.
More on title insurance:
Zillow What is title insurance?
The Balance What Is a Title Insurance Policy?
Smart Asset Do you need title insurance?
Home Closing 101 Protect Your Property Rights
Who pays for the title insurance? In Florida it varies, but in most cases the buyer pays lender policy and the seller pays the owner's policy.
COST: Several hundred to several thousand dollars, based on the purchase price of the home. The rate is regulated by the State of Florida and is as follows:
$5.75 per thousand for the first $100,000
$5.00 per thousand from $100,000 to $1 million
$2.50 per thousand from $1 million to $5 million
$2.00 per thousand from $5 million to $10 million
Title Zoom Who pays for title insurance?
Trulia Does seller need to have title insurance, who pays?
Florida Title Insurance Company Cost Calculator
Title Zoom Look into the Butler Rebate to save money
Title issues do occur. Here's why you need it insured:
Orlando Sentinel Winter Park family builds home, then finds out seller didn't disclose lien
Daily Mail Man buys $760K lot and builds dream home only to learn property is saddled with $12.6MILLION debt
Every lender requires you to have homeowners insurance.
If you already own a home, you can call your insurance agency and let them know you’re buying a new home. They will handle writing a new policy.
If you don’t have an insurance agent, you have a couple options. Some people shop around and contact insurance companies directly to buy a policy. In this case you need to know exactly the coverage that is required.
THE BIGGEST HOME INSURERS
There are some online upstarts that are making headway:
Lemonade - Online Home Insurance
Forbes Disrupting the insurance business
Most people, however, use a mortgage broker. The broker can shop around and find a policy that fits your needs.
The insurance payment is usually rolled into your monthly mortgage payment. Your lender will open an escrow account and handle the payments to the insurance company. Be aware that you’ll probably make an initial payment for insurance at closing as part of your closing costs.
US News Things to know when buying homeowners insurance
Esurance Buying homeowners insurance
Policy Genius How to buy homeowners insurance
We discussed flood insurance earlier in this guide. It’s possible you found a great home, but it’s located in a flood zone. You’ll have to get insurance for that, too. Unfortunately, insurance to cover this risk is not typically provided in a homeowners policy so it must be purchased separately. The average cost of flood insurance in Florida's largest cities ranges from $350 to $950 per year.
Find out the flood status of a property here:
To buy flood insurance, you must go through one of the federally regulated companies. According to FEMA, if your insurance agent does not sell flood insurance, you can contact the NFIP Referral Call Center at 1-800-427-4661 to request an agent referral.
FEMA How to buy flood insurance
Florida program info:
FL Office of Insurance Regulation Program Info
FL Office of Insurance Regulation Insurance Providers
Before closing, you will need to set up the utility services at your new home. This includes both power and water at a minimum, but you may also need other services like gas or propane. Services like phone, internet, cable, and security can be scheduled now, but are not needed before closing.
To establish your utilities, it is usually easiest to call the utility company. That way you can find out what they will need from you to turn on their services. Sometimes this can be done over the phone or internet (especially if you are already a customer), but often it requires visiting the utility company – especially for power.
More on utilities:
Money - How Stuff Works How to get utilities set up
Nationwide How to set up utilities
Though you may not yet know the exact date you will be moving, you need to do the best you can to prepare.
Experts recommend planning for a move 6-8 weeks before actually moving because companies book up quickly.
Homelight How to pack for a move quickly
Landmark HW Moving Checklist
Have you completed everything above? Great! Now we’re getting closer to the close.
At least three business days before closing, your lender must send you a Closing Disclosure (before October 2015, this was a HUD-1 form. You'll now receive a Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure.). This form lists all final terms of your loan such as closing costs and the details of who pays and receives money at closing.
More on disclosures:
Consumer Finance What is a Closing Disclosure?
Consumer Finance What is a Loan Estimate?
Consumer Finance Sample Closing Disclosure
Also, a day or two before closing you will want to complete a final walkthrough. Here you will verify that the house has not been damaged and any items you wanted to address were completed. If everything looks fine, it’s time for closing.
Can you walk away from a home under contract?
The Balance Walking away from closing
Home search - Helpful links