When should you know your closing date?

Asked by: Alexie Prohaska  |  Last update: September 29, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (48 votes)

Keep in mind that the closing date is usually at least one month after the purchase offer has been accepted. It can take even longer if you run into unexpected hurdles during the closing process. Once you have confirmed the closing date, you can start packing your things and phoning moving companies.

How soon do you know your closing date?

Closing day typically happens four to six weeks after you sign the sales and purchase contract, though it may take longer. The closing process itself may take several hours. Once all the papers are signed, you've secured your mortgage and the closing is officially complete, you'll receive the keys to the property.

How much notice for closing date?

As a general rule of thumb most real estate professionals consider thirty (30) day notice fixing a closing date to be “reasonable”.

How soon do you hear after a closing date?

In practise, solicitors acting for buyers will normally aim to get their offers in an hour or two before the deadline, but on the actual date of closing. Closing dates work as a blind auction meaning that each person submitting an offer does not know details of any other offers that may be submitted.

How far in advance is a closing date set?

Most closing dates are about 30 to 60 days after you've made an offer on the home. This allows time for getting full approval for your mortgage loan, fixing any issues uncovered during the home inspection and making any changes based on your final walk through.

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Who decides your closing date?

The closing date is set after your mortgage loan has been approved and you accept the commitment letter. Your agent will coordinate this date with you, the seller, your lender, and the closing agent.

What happens 3 days before closing?

When the Know Before You Owe mortgage disclosure rule becomes effective, lenders must give you new, easier-to-use disclosures about your loan three business days before closing. This gives you time to review the terms of the deal before you get to the closing table.

What happens if closing date is not met?

When you miss a closing date as a buyer, technically you are in breach of contract and the seller could take legal action against you including your being mandated to reimburse them for mortgage, taxes, insurance, or other costs they may have incurred because of the delayed closing.

How long until a house offer is accepted?

Generally, though, a seller's agent will take about one to three days to respond after you have made an offer. Certain factors can influence the seller's response time and cause an unusual delay. Some states, such as California, allow buyers to limit how long the homeowner has to respond to an offer.

Should I start packing before closing?

On closing day, one of the first things you should do is pack for your move, if you haven't already. Depending on how long you've been in your current house and how many possessions you've accumulated, boxing everything up may be a Herculean task.

Can I move in on closing day?

Some buyers may be able to negotiate an immediate possession date. This means as soon as the transaction is closed and the deed is recorded, the buyer can move in. A few other common buyer possession dates may be 15 days, 30 days, 60 days, or even 90 days after closing, depending on how much time the seller needs.

Who schedules the closing date time?

Once the closing agent confirms with the lender and the seller, he or she will set a final date, time and location of the closing. On closing day, all of the behind-the-scenes work is complete.

What happens 10 days before closing?

Your lender will need an insurance binder from your insurance company 10 days before closing. Check in with your lender to determine if they need any additional information from you. Get a change of address package from the U.S. Postal Service and begin the change of address notification process.

Who attends a house closing?

You and any other co-borrowers. The seller of the property or their agent. Your real estate agent and the seller's real estate agent. Real estate agents are not required to be at the closing, but may choose to attend to make sure that the closing transaction goes through.

How long after closing are funds disbursed?

A seller typically receives their money from the home sale 24 – 48 hours after closing.

Who decides the closing date on a house?

Even the best realtor is guessing at the amount of time needed to complete the pre-closing activities, and sometimes the realtor will set these dates to accommodate either the buyer or the seller. But ultimately, the bank determines when the property is ready to close.

Can a deal fall through after closing?

Sometimes, deals fall through, even after you and the buyer have a contract in place. While it's relatively rare for a buyer to back out of a deal, it does happen. Here, we'll explain the most common reasons for a buyer to back out, and what you can do if it happens to you.

Can the seller push back the closing date?

In most contracts, both parties must agree to any extension unless the contract specifies that one party has the right to extend unilaterally under certain conditions. The contract may specify penalties for failing to close on time or remedies if the other party is at fault for the delay.

What is the 3 7 3 rule in mortgage?

Timing Requirements – The “3/7/3 Rule”

The initial Truth in Lending Statement must be delivered to the consumer within 3 business days of the receipt of the loan application by the lender. The TILA statement is presumed to be delivered to the consumer 3 business days after it is mailed.

Do they pull your credit the day of closing?

Credit is pulled at least once at the beginning of the approval process, and then again just prior to closing. Sometimes it's pulled in the middle if necessary, so it's important that you be conscious of your credit and the things that may impact your scores and approvability throughout the entire process.

Can a loan be denied after closing?

Can a mortgage be denied after the closing disclosure is issued? Yes. Many lenders use third-party “loan audit” companies to validate your income, debt and assets again before you sign closing papers. If they discover major changes to your credit, income or cash to close, your loan could be denied.

What happens 24 hours before closing?

In most cases, the final walk-through is scheduled within 24 hours prior to the closing date. Your real estate agent can help you set a time with the seller's agent when you can be sure the property will be accessible and (hopefully) vacant.

What is the 3-day rule in real estate?

The California Purchase Contract is chock-full of deadlines: three days to place a deposit into escrow; 17 days to perform investigations; scheduling utilities, organizing closing, and many other important details.

How many days before closing date should I pay?

Your closing date isn't the same as your payment due date. After all, your credit card payment technically isn't due until the end of a 21- to 25-day period known as the grace period. By making a credit card payment before the closing date, you can make it seem as though you've racked up less credit card debt.