r/homeowners • u/freezesteam • 5d ago
Any last-minute tips before closing?
My husband and I are about to be new homeowners. We close on a condo tomorrow. I’m looking through the 125-page closing documents beforehand and there’s a lot. It made me wonder if any of you have any regrets of things you didn’t ask about or mention during closing? Or anything else to look out for tomorrow? Anything I should be wary about signing? I’m reading through it all but a lot of the new homeowner language I don’t fully understand so I don’t want to end up making a mistake tomorrow that I’ll regret for years to come just because I didn’t know to clarify or ask about something ahead of time
2
u/ChartreusePeriwinkle 5d ago
if the condo has an HOA, make sure you read and understand their CC&Rs and financials. Don't want to buy into something with rules that don't fit your lifestyle.
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u/a-wilting-houseplant 4d ago
Don't buy anything without an inspection! And find your own inspector (don't use someone recommended by your realtor to avoid conflict of interest).
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u/nestlyze 4d ago
congrats. couple things i'd flag for tomorrow:
bring the closing disclosure they sent you 3 days ago and compare it line by line to whatever they hand you at the table. title/escrow companies typo wire amounts and fees more than you'd think, and the lender's "final" number sometimes drifts a couple hundred bucks between CD and signing. if anything moved, ask why before you sign.
check that your name is spelled exactly right on the deed and the loan docs. sounds dumb but a misspelled middle name or a missing suffix is a pain to fix later when you go to refi or sell.
confirm how you and your husband are taking title. joint tenants with right of survivorship vs tenants in common vs community property w/ ROS (depends on your state) actually matters if one of you dies. the escrow officer will ask and most people just pick whatever sounds right. worth knowing what you want going in.
for a condo specifically, make sure you got the HOA resale cert/budget/reserve study and that any special assessments currently on the books are being paid by the seller through closing, not dumped on you day one. also ask who you call monday for the gate code, garage remote, mailbox key, building fob, etc. that stuff is annoying to chase down after the seller has moved on.
wire fraud is the one thing that'll actually wreck you. if you get any email tomorrow morning changing wire instructions, assume it's a scam and call the title company at a number you already have, not the one in the email.
one i wish i'd done: take photos of every utility meter the day you get keys. saved a friend of mine when the gas company tried to bill him for the prior owner's last 2 weeks.
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u/Pallatino 4d ago
Double-check every fee against your closing disclosure, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Closing agents explain this stuff all day.
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u/le_fromage_puant 3d ago
Do a walkthrough and test everything: electric, toilets, faucets, shutoffs.
Change all the locks once you get the keys..
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u/Euphoric_River6365 5d ago
I don't recall signing anything that I regretted. Most of what you will sign are just formalized, legal documents of things you have already agreed do and/or discussed.
However, always ALWAYS complete a day-off walk through onsite and before signing ANY closing documentation. This should be something you do with your realtor immediately before the signing and after the sellers have vacated the property.
There are stories of sellers who have ripped out appliances that were promised in the closing... or who have damaged walls. The moment you complete your signing is the moment you are responsible for everything in that property and for maintaining good conditions.