Mortgage Answers / Buying Step by Step
The Short Answer
Before closing, check that agreed repairs are done, included items are still there and the home's condition matches your agreement. Report differences promptly. The walk-through is not a new home inspection, and your contract controls what happens next.
Finding and Buying the Right Home. Check the home against the agreement before you sign.
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A new inspection
Different checks have different purposes.
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Finish the checklist and keep a record of what you checked. A good walk-through does not replace the rest of the closing review.
Check agreed work and request available receipts or other promised records.
Compare the home with the written list of items that should stay. Note any change in condition.
Ask your closing team whether anything remains before signing and when possession or keys will be provided.
Raise the difference promptly before treating the home as ready. The solution depends on your agreement and any required approvals.
Compare the issue with the written agreement. Save notes and permitted photos; ask an expert about a technical concern.
Tell your real estate professional. Involve the lender and closing team if a repair, credit or closing date may change.
Ask about permitted options and deadlines. Any credit, repair arrangement or delay needs the required agreement and approval; it is not automatic.
Missing access or a system you cannot test leaves a question open. Discuss a plan before signing rather than assuming the result.
Tell your real estate professional which room, repair, item or system you could not check and why.
Ask about another visit or suitable expert help under the contract. Do not test unsafe equipment yourself.
Ask your closing team and, when needed, an attorney about unresolved issues. A delay or cancellation can have contract and loan consequences.
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Use the written agreement and repair list. A good-looking home does not replace the rest of the closing review.
Contract terms and required approvals control what can happen next. A credit, delay, cancellation or right to keep money back is not automatic.
Bring your repair list and the list of items the seller agreed to leave. Check those items and look for new damage. Ask your real estate professional about checking appliances or systems safely and arranging any needed expert review.
Take notes and photos when allowed. Tell your real estate professional about anything different. Ask the lender and closing team about any proposed change to repairs, costs or timing. Do not assume you can cancel, keep money back or change the deal on your own.
The property check and the final loan documents have different jobs. Review open questions with the lender and closing team before signing.
No. Its main purpose is to compare the home's condition and agreed items with the purchase agreement. A professional inspection serves a different purpose.
No universal deadline is stated here. Arrange it with your real estate professional under your contract and local process, preferably with time to raise concerns before signing.
No automatic cancellation right is promised. Your contract, local law and the facts control your options. Get advice before changing or ending the transaction.
Do not assume so. Any proposed credit or repair arrangement must meet the contract and the loan program's rules and receive required approvals.
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Willa Henderson
Fayetteville, NC
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Yara Mansfield
Show Low, AZ
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Victor Salgado
Boulder, CO
Every buyer's situation is different. Let's find the right path for you.