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Signatures are in, and the clock starts. Your earnest money goes to escrow within the timeframe your contract specifies, and your lender gets the executed contract so the file can move from pre-approval into an actual loan application.
The busiest stretch. General inspection, plus any specialty inspections you are ordering, all scheduled inside the inspection period. You review reports, decide what to ask for, and negotiate repairs or credits. This is the period where you still have the widest set of exits.
Your lender orders the appraisal. Underwriting starts asking for documentation, sometimes for things you already submitted, which is normal and not a signal of trouble. Respond fast. Slow document returns are the most common cause of delayed closings.
Title work, underwriting review, insurance binding. It will feel like nothing is happening. Things are happening. Do not open credit accounts, finance furniture, or change jobs during this window, because underwriting will look again before you close.
Underwriting issues final approval, you receive your closing disclosure showing exact numbers, you arrange your funds by wire, and you do a final walkthrough to confirm condition and completed repairs.
You sign. In Oregon, keys usually come when the deed records, which can be the same day or the next depending on timing. Then it is yours.
Before you send money, call escrow at a number you looked up independently and verbally confirm the wiring instructions. Wire fraud in real estate is real, the emails look legitimate, and the money is usually unrecoverable. One phone call prevents it.
Commonly thirty to forty-five days depending on loan type. Cash purchases can go considerably faster.
Underwriting frequently requests updates or clarifications. It is routine. Respond quickly and the file keeps moving.
Generally not advisable and often not permitted. Early occupancy arrangements exist but carry real risk on both sides.
Confirming the home is in the agreed condition, agreed repairs were completed, and nothing changed since your last visit. Do it, even when everything has gone smoothly.
I will answer them for your specific property and your specific situation. That conversation is free and it is the useful one.
Buying your first place, selling acreage out east, or landing here from out of state — start with a conversation. No pressure, no script, no disappearing act.
541-968-9422I read these myself. Expect a reply from me, usually the same day.
