Two hours.
One wire. Keys.
The closing table is shorter than the loan process that led you there. But the wire-fraud risk is real, the Note matters, and the walk-through is not a formality. Here's what to know.
What happens
at the table.
Closing is 90 minutes of signing and one wire transfer.
The actual table is fast. The bulk of what you sign is the Note (your promise to pay) and the Deed of Trust or Mortgage (the lien). Everything else is disclosures, affidavits, and acknowledgments. Bring a government ID and a cashier's check or wire confirmation for cash to close.
Wire fraud is the #1 financial crime against homebuyers.
Criminals intercept title company emails and send fake wire instructions. Never trust wire instructions sent by email alone. Call the title company at a number you independently verified — not the one in the email — and confirm the account before sending. Lost wire funds are almost never recovered.
The Note is the only document that binds you personally.
The Deed/Mortgage secures the loan against the property. The Note is your personal promise. Read the rate, term, payment amount, first payment due date, and late fee terms. Mistakes at this line are rare but disastrous — fix before signing.
Your final walk-through is not a formality.
24 hours before close, walk the empty house. Check that agreed repairs were done. Test every faucet, toggle every light switch, run the HVAC, flush every toilet, open every window. Items missed here become your problem 30 seconds after you sign.
You get keys, a welcome packet, and a recorded deed.
The title company records the deed with the county same-day or next business day. Your homeowner's insurance is already bound (required before close). Your mortgage servicer — who you actually pay — is often different from your lender. First payment is typically 30–60 days out.
Five moves.
Closing day sharp.
- 01
Confirm wire instructions by phone.
Call the title office at a number you found independently — not from email. Verbally confirm the account and routing before sending a dollar.
- 02
Walk the house 24 hours before close.
Empty house, every system tested. Agreed repairs verified. Any issue = call your realtor NOW, not at the signing table.
- 03
Bring two forms of ID + cashier's check.
Driver's license + passport or secondary ID. The exact cash-to-close figure from your CD. Any discrepancy at the table delays close by days.
- 04
Read the Note line by line.
Rate, term, payment, late fee, prepayment penalty (there shouldn't be one — if there is, question it). This is the binding document.
- 05
Save every document digitally before you leave.
The title company gives you a closing packet. Scan the entire thing the same day. You'll need these for taxes, insurance claims, and future refinances.
Four ways
closing day goes sideways.
Trusting emailed wire instructions.
Every year billions are lost. Title email accounts get compromised. Phone-verify the account from an independent number. Always.
Skipping the final walk-through.
Seller removes the fridge that was supposed to stay. Agreed electrical repair never happened. Missed here = on your dime tomorrow.
Not asking who services the loan.
Your lender often sells servicing within 30–60 days. Find out at closing. Miss the transfer letter and your first payment goes to the wrong party.
Forgetting the tax/insurance transition.
Your insurance is bound at close. Your first tax bill may hit escrow 6–12 months in. Know your escrow monthly pickup and confirm it on the CD.
Step 07: complete.
Keys in hand.
The house is yours. Step 08 is the one nobody teaches — the first five years of ownership, escrow math, refinance windows, equity, and the maintenance cadence that protects your largest asset.