Congratulations on having an accepted contract on a house, but now what? Often contracts are accepted verbally by the seller’s agent first while signatures are gathered from the sellers. It can take 1 – 2 days for all parties to sign and return the contract so be patient. Until we have an executed contract (which means everything has been signed by both the sellers and the buyers) we do not have an enforceable contract.Once a signed contract is received, several things need to happen:
- The contract needs to be sent to your mortgage lender. Again, if we are your Realtors, we’ll take care of this. This lets your lender know that you’re under contract and starts the process for getting you approved for the mortgage (remember, right now you’re only pre-approved). Unfortunately, it’s not optional; it’s required and the quicker you can fill it out and get it back to them, the better.
- You need to schedule the home inspection. We are happy to help facilitate this but the inspector you use is up to you. Click here for our list of recommended home inspectors. This needs to be done asap.
- You need to write and drop off the earnest money check. Typically the earnest money check is made out to the Title Company and is either in the form of a personal check or a certified check. It is dropped off at the Title COmpany office 1-3 business days of contract acceptance. When you drop it off make sure you ask for a receipt. Hold on to the receipt and bring it with you to closing.
- After the above items have been done, we’ll email you every few days with additional steps. Think of it as our friendly way of giving you homework to ensure a smooth transaction and to help you make sure everything gets done on time.