Everyone tells first-time buyers about the down payment. Nobody tells them about the survey stapler, the notary who runs late, or the fact that the wire cutoff is 4 PM and not 5.
The quiet list
- You will sign your name more times than you thought was legal.
- The lender will ask for one more document. There is always one more document.
- Homeowner's insurance must be paid, not just quoted, before funding.
- The wire deadline is earlier than you think. Assume 2 PM, not 5.
- Bring two forms of ID. One of them must be current.
- The closing disclosure will be right. Read it anyway.
- You cannot pay off the seller's HOA with a check at the table.
- Your keys come from the listing agent, not from us.
- The moment the wire hits, the house is yours. Not before. Not after.
That last one is the whole job.
homeownerfirst-timeguide