Prior to your scheduled closing date, Jim will be busy gathering documents on your behalf. Condo-type sales entail additional paperwork: Jim will help in obtaining your Condominium 6D Certificate (a notarized document verifying that all condominium fees and any and all special assessments in the condominium association are up to date for the month of the closing), the Condominium Association's Master Insurance Policy Certificate naming your buyer or his mortgage/lien holder, and the Fire Department Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detector Certificate.
If selling a single-family or townhouse, there is also the Water & Sewer Commission Final Water Reading. Jim will ensure that you know about this and all other state-required documents, like the Title V certificate, to present at the Registry of Deeds.
The week just prior to the closing is when your buyer's lender's underwriter actually prepares all the documents, verifies the accuracy of the closing or settlement statement, reviews the deed, and lines up funds for the closing. If this is a cash deal your legal counsel will prepare the closing documents. Either way, you can count on Jim to be in touch regularly throughout the entire transaction in an effort to monitor the process and generally to assure things proceed smoothly and ultimately without incident. Just bear in mind that the mortgage company is ultimately in the driver's seat!
Contact your attorney about a week before closing to schedule the actual closing date, time, and location, in an effort to avoid any conflicts with your schedule. If you cannot attend the closing, have your attorney prepare a "Power of Attorney" (POA) as well as a wire transfer - which will save you time and aggravation.
If you plan on being at the closing, the closing usually takes place at your lender's attorney's office or the Registry of Deeds. Plan on spending about 1-2 hours depending upon the amount of paperwork. Don't forget to bring your driver's license or state-issued photo identification/passport.
About three (3) days prior to the closing, you will receive a copy of the Closing Statement. The statement will document the transaction in detail and inform you of the total amount due at or from the closing - obviously necessary so you can order a wire transfer or bring a cashier's check, if necessary. Should you have any questions in regards to the Closing Statement's itemization of fees, call your attorney or Jim.
Once you and your attorney have ironed everything out and we have a firm time, date, and location scheduled for closing, you can expect the buyer and the buyer's agent to want to schedule a timely walk through of your home prior to closing.
After closing comes moving... but, you will want to orchestrate that long before closing. Check out Jim's moving tips.