Moving In
You are almost there. There are a few loose ends to tie up first.
The final walkthrough
Shortly before closing, usually the day before or the day of, we go back through the property with you. You are checking that everything works and is in the condition it was in when you last saw it, that everything included in the sale is still there, and that nothing has been left behind that should be gone. It is usually a formality, but it is the last easy moment to catch a problem.
Signing
In most deals here there is no single closing table. You sign at the escrow company’s office, or with a notary they send to you, a few days before the closing date. The seller signs separately. If you cannot be there in person, tell us as early as you can and escrow will arrange something that works.
Escrow prepares a settlement statement that lists every dollar in the transaction, and you sign it. If you are financing, your lender also sends a Closing Disclosure ahead of signing, and you sign the loan documents at the same appointment. Read the numbers before you sign, and ask escrow or your lender about anything that does not match what you were told.
Bringing your money
The balance of your down payment and closing costs goes to escrow, either by wire or by cashier’s check, in the amount shown on the settlement statement. If you wire, call the escrow office at a phone number you already know is theirs and confirm the instructions before you send anything. Wire fraud aimed at home buyers is real, and the usual version is an email with changed instructions that looks like it came from escrow or from your agent.
Closing, keys and utilities
After everyone has signed, the lender funds the loan and escrow records the deed with the county. In Washington that recording is what closes the sale. When the contract says possession passes to you, we get you the keys, and the seller should leave any remotes, manuals and codes. We will also give you a list of numbers for setting up utilities and home services in your name.
If something goes sideways at the last minute, say an appliance quits or a document is late, call us. We have seen most of it before and it nearly always gets sorted out.
That is the process. If you are ready to start, or you have questions about any of it, talk to Derek.