The closing process

What happens between contract and keys.

Most of a closing is invisible to the people at the table. Here is the whole sequence, so you know what is happening and when to worry.

The contract reaches us

Usually from an agent or a lender, sometimes from the buyer. We open the file, confirm the closing date is realistic, and start the search.

Title search and examination

We trace the chain of title and pull everything recorded against the property — mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, restrictions. Then we read it and decide what must be cleared.

Commitment issued

You receive a title commitment: what we will insure, and the conditions attached. Schedule B is the part to read. It lists the exceptions — the things the policy will not cover unless they are resolved first.

Clearing the exceptions

Obtaining payoff figures, chasing satisfactions that were never recorded, resolving an estate, correcting a legal description. This is the stage that delays closings, and the reason we start it early.

Lender documents and figures

The lender sends closing instructions and the loan package. We reconcile their figures with ours and prepare the settlement statement showing every dollar in and out.

Funds arrive

Your closing funds reach our escrow account by wire or certified funds. Call us before sending anything — see wire fraud prevention.

Signing

Deed, mortgage, settlement statement and disclosures. An hour, give or take. We explain each document as it comes.

Disbursement and recording

We pay off the existing mortgage, disburse to every payee, and record the deed and mortgage with the county. Recording is the moment the transfer becomes public record.

Your policy issues

The final policy follows once recording is confirmed. Keep it. It has no expiry, and it is what you rely on if a defect surfaces years from now.

Have a question about your closing?

Tell us about the transaction and we’ll come back to you with a figure and a timeline — usually the same business day.

We never send wiring instructions by email, and we will never ask you to change them by email. Always call a number you already have on file before moving money.

Questions

Common questions

What should I bring to closing?
Government-issued photo identification for every person signing, and your funds if they have not already been wired. We will tell you in advance if anything else is needed for your file.
How do I send my closing funds?
By wire or certified funds — and call us on a number you already have to confirm the instructions verbally before sending anything. We never send or change wiring instructions by email.
What is Schedule B on my title commitment?
The exceptions — the things the policy will not cover unless they are resolved first. It is the part of the commitment worth reading, and the part we work through before closing.
Why do closings get delayed?
Almost always clearing title exceptions: an unreleased mortgage, an estate that was never settled, a lien nobody knew about, or a payoff figure requested too late. Starting the search early is what prevents it.

More in our full FAQ, or call Pennsylvania (412) 677-2311 or Alabama (256) 692-0808.

Keep reading

How to read a title commitment Wire fraud prevention Forms & documents What is a title commitment? Open a title order Frequently asked questions