Closing day — what actually happens + the documents you'll sign

The day before

Final walkthrough — required by your purchase agreement. Verify the home is in the agreed condition. Look for: removed fixtures the seller said they'd leave, new damage, lights on / off / appliances tested.

Wire your funds — confirm wire instructions BY PHONE with the title company using a number you found independently (NOT one in an email). Wire-fraud at closing is a billion-dollar industry.

Bring: government photo ID, copy of homeowner's insurance dec page, any 'cash to close' cashier's check (if not wiring).

The closing meeting (1-3 hours typical)

Attendees: you, sometimes your real-estate agent, escrow officer / title company rep, sometimes a notary. Seller may close separately at a different time. Lawyer-required-states (NY, MA, GA, etc.): your attorney attends.

Documents you'll review: Closing Disclosure (must match the one issued 3+ business days earlier), promissory note, deed of trust / mortgage, transfer tax declaration, title commitment, owner's title insurance policy.

Documents you'll sign: 30-50 sheets typical. The escrow officer will guide you. Take 5 minutes per non-trivial doc to actually read it.

The numbers you'll see

Loan principal disbursement (lender → seller).

Down payment (you → seller, via title company).

Closing costs paid by you: lender fees, title insurance, recording fees, prorated property tax, prorated HOA dues, first year homeowners insurance, escrow setup.

Closing costs paid by seller (depending on negotiation): title transfer tax, real-estate commissions (~5-6%), HOA transfer fees.

Anything that looks wrong → STOP. Ask for written explanation. Don't sign under pressure.

Wire-fraud red flags

Email from 'title company' changing wire instructions LATE in the day. ALWAYS call the title company at a number you trust.

Pressure to wire faster than originally planned ('we need it today').

Email signature looks slightly off (different domain, typo in name).

Account name doesn't match the title company's known business name.

FBI estimates >$2 billion/year in real-estate wire fraud. Verify by phone, always.

After signing

Title company records the deed at the county recorder (same day or next business day).

You get keys (some states: at signing; some: at recording confirmation).

Set up utility transfers if not already done.

Set up homestead exemption — apply with your county assessor in the first eligible window. Often saves $1,000+ per year. See /learn/county-assessor-property-tax-101 for state-by-state.

Save your closing package — keep digital + physical copies forever. You'll need it for taxes (mortgage interest, points), refinancing, future selling.

What zipradar shows

Closing-day events are transactional, not parcel-state. Not in our 12-dimension federation.

But: the data we federate (water/flood/wildfire/etc.) should ALL be reviewed BEFORE you walk into closing. Once you sign, you own the data risks.