Although every transaction can be different, this is a general timeline from the Seller's point of view.
1. There is an offer for the property. Your Realtor receives earnest money from the Buyer.
2. When you receive an offer (or even before) you should immediately call an Attorney and fax or email the contract to their office. It is important to get the Attorney involved right away because there are deadlines that begin to run.
3. The Attorney will then begin their work on the transaction which will include reviewing the terms of the contract, ordering and reviewing the title policy, and drafting the paperwork necessary for closing.
4. Inspection deadline. In a typical contract, the Buyer has the right to have the property professionally inspected. If any problems are found, the Buyer may ask for them to be repaired or they may ask for a monetary credit. Or they could choose to cancel the contract and have the earnest money returned to them.
5. Mortgage commitment deadline. This is often the deadline that matters the most to all of the parties. For a Buyer that needs to take out a mortgage, this is the deadline where the lender either "commits" to lending money for the property or decides they cannot lend money for this property. Often this deadline needs to be extended because the lenders have become more cautious then before and therefore need more time.
6. At some point, usually after the Attorneys have come to an agreement on all terms, the Buyer will give an additional amount of earnest money. This money typically goes to your Realtor's office who then puts it into an escrow account.
7. The final walk-through takes place, usually the day before the closing.
8. The actual closing takes place which is where everyone signs the paperwork and keys are exchanged.
Overall, the above timeline typically takes around 60 days to complete but every transaction is different and sometimes deadlines need to be extended for one reason or another.
Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
134 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com
Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale
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