Questions to Ask at Closing
For buyers in the United States in the last week before a home closing and at the signing table itself. These questions to ask at closing on a home run in the order the week does: the days before, the numbers on the Closing Disclosure, title and deed, the loan you are signing, the table, then keys and what follows. Who attends, how the money is delivered and when possession passes all differ by state, so where a question turns on local practice, put it to your closer, agent or attorney.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Before the day
Can I have the final Closing Disclosure three business days ahead, so I can read it at home?
Why ask it
In the US, lenders on most home loans have to deliver it at least three business days before closing, so this is a right rather than a favor. Reading it at your own table is the only realistic chance to catch an error, because nobody checks five pages of figures properly with a pen already in hand.
Which numbers changed since the Loan Estimate, and why did each one change?
Why ask it
Some charges may move freely, some only within a tolerance, and some may not increase at all without a documented reason such as a change you requested. Ask for the reason line by line, and ask whether a credit is due wherever a fee that was meant to hold has grown.
How do I verify the wire instructions, and what number do I call to confirm?
Why ask it
Closing wire fraud works by sending altered instructions that look identical to the real ones. Collect the details in person or by calling a number you looked up yourself, and treat any emailed change of account details as fraud until that same number has confirmed it. A wire sent to the wrong account is often gone for good.
Exactly how much do I bring, in what form, and by what time?
Why ask it
Requirements differ by state and by title company: some need a wire before a cut-off hour, others want a cashier's check made payable a particular way, and personal checks are usually refused above a small amount. Get the cut-off and the payee wording in writing, since a wire that lands after the hour can push the signing to the next day.
Who has to sign in person, and which ID will you accept from each of us?
Why ask it
The name on the identification has to match the name typed on the documents, and a driver's license that expired last month can stop a signing. Depending on the state, a spouse who is not on the loan may still have to sign something, so ask about everyone in the household and not only the borrowers.
Where is the signing, what time, and how long should I set aside?
Why ask it
A financed purchase comes with a thick stack and a cash purchase with a thin one, so ask for an estimate for your own file. Find out as well whether the seller signs at the same table or at a separate appointment, since that decides whether you can put a question to them in person.
Can you send me the rest of the document package ahead, not only the Closing Disclosure?
Why ask it
The promissory note and the mortgage or deed of trust are the papers that bind you for decades, and they tend to be prepared last. Many closers will email unsigned copies a day early when asked, which turns the appointment into checking pages you have already read.
If I cannot be there in person, can I sign by mail, with a mobile notary or online?
Why ask it
Each of those needs the state, the lender and the title company to allow it, and a signer acting under a power of attorney usually needs the lender to approve the document itself beforehand. Raise it the day you know about the clash, because none of these can be arranged on the morning.
Is the loan clear to close, and does my rate lock run past the closing date?
Why ask it
Clear to close means the underwriter has signed off on every condition, and until you hear those words the date on the calendar is provisional. Find out what is still outstanding and who owes it, and what extending the lock would cost if the closing slides past its last day.
Is there anything I should avoid doing with my money or my job before the loan funds?
Why ask it
Lenders commonly look at credit and employment again shortly before funding. A new card, furniture bought on credit, a large deposit with no paper trail or a change of employer can each reopen an approval that looked finished, so put any plan like that to the loan officer first.
Is my homeowner's insurance in force from the day of closing, and does the lender have the binder and the paid receipt?
Why ask it
Coverage has to begin at transfer, not on the day you move your furniture in. A missing binder or unpaid first premium is a routine cause of a last-minute hold, and it is worth confirming rather than assuming your agent has sent it.
How close to the signing can the final walk-through be, and what are my options if it turns up a problem?
Why ask it
The later the visit, the less can change between your last look and the transfer, though the contract may set the window. Agree beforehand what happens if something is wrong: a short delay, money held back in escrow until it is fixed, or a credit. Which of those your lender and contract allow is worth knowing before you are standing in the hallway.
Are the repairs the seller agreed to finished, and where do the receipts or the credit appear?
Why ask it
Check invoices and receipts rather than assurances, and photograph the work at the final walk-through. If a credit was given instead of the work being done, confirm it appears on the settlement statement and accept that the repair is now yours.
The numbers
Which of these fees are the lender's, which are the title company's, and which are government charges?
Why ask it
Sorting the fees by who set them shows you which can move. Recording fees and transfer taxes are set by the state or county and will not budge, while courier, document and processing charges from the lender or title company are the ones that sometimes come off when questioned.
Can you walk me through the cash to close, from the purchase price down to the amount I bring?
Why ask it
The figure is a chain of sums: the price, less the loan, less your deposit and any credits, plus closing costs and prepaid items. Worked through aloud with the closer, a credit left off or a charge entered twice shows up as a gap of exactly that amount.
Is my earnest money shown as a credit, and for the full amount I paid?
Why ask it
That deposit left your account weeks ago and may be sitting with a broker, an attorney or the escrow office. Bring the receipt or the bank record, because a deposit left off the statement means you are asked to bring that much more than you owe.
Where do the seller credit and any lender credit we agreed on appear?
Why ask it
Each one should be its own line, for the amount written in the contract or its addendum. A concession settled in a text message between agents and never put into an addendum is the one most likely to be missing. Loan programs can also cap what a seller may contribute, so ask what happens to any part over the limit.
How were property taxes and HOA dues prorated, and who pays the next bill that arrives?
Why ask it
Proration splits the year's charges between seller and buyer as of the closing date. Whether taxes are billed ahead or in arrears differs by state and county, so ask which months the next bill covers and whether the seller's share of it is already a credit on your side of the statement.
Are there association transfer fees, a capital contribution or unpaid seller dues on this statement?
Why ask it
Associations bill a sale in their own ways, and the contract decides which side pays which charge. Ask to see the association's written statement that the seller's account is paid up to the closing date, and ask the closer what happens in your state to dues left unpaid.
What are the prepaid items, and how many days of interest am I paying today?
Why ask it
Prepaids are your own future bills collected early: interest from closing day to the end of the month, the first year of homeowner's insurance and the opening deposit into escrow. The interest line depends on the date, so a closing moved by a week changes it, and you should see the daily figure it was built from.
What are the real estate agents being paid, and which side of the statement is it on?
Why ask it
Commissions are printed with the settlement figures like any other charge. Compare the amount and who is paying it with the agreement you signed with your own agent and with the purchase contract, and raise a mismatch before the signing, not during it.
Who do I call about a number that looks wrong, and would fixing it delay the closing?
Why ask it
Loan charges belong to the lender and title or escrow charges to the closer, so a query sent to the wrong one loses a day. Most corrections are reissued quickly, but a few kinds of change to the loan can restart the three-day wait, so ask which sort yours is.
Title and deed
What did the title search turn up: any liens, easements or unpaid taxes?
Why ask it
Ask for the title commitment itself rather than a verbal summary, since an easement across the driveway or an old contractor's lien is far easier to resolve before the money moves than after. Open building permits and unpaid utility charges are searched in some places and not in others, so ask whether a municipal search was part of yours.
Has every requirement in the title commitment been met, including the payoff of the seller's mortgage?
Why ask it
The commitment lists what must happen before the company will insure: the seller's loan paid off, an old lien released, sometimes papers from an estate or a divorce. Ask which items are still open this morning and whose desk each one is on, since an unmet requirement is a reason to wait.
Am I getting an owner's title insurance policy as well as the lender's, and what does mine cover?
Why ask it
The lender's policy protects the lender's loan, not your equity. An owner's policy is what responds if someone later asserts an interest in the property. Who pays for it follows local custom and the contract, and how the premium is set differs by state, so ask how it works where you are buying.
Which exceptions will my owner's policy carry, and can any come off before we close?
Why ask it
Exceptions are the matters the policy will not pay for, listed in Schedule B. Some standard ones can be deleted with a current survey or a signed affidavit from the seller, depending on the state and the company. Read the ones written about this particular property slowly, and ask for the recorded document behind each.
Is there a survey, and does it match the fences and driveway as they actually are?
Why ask it
A survey shows where the boundary legally runs, which is not always where the fence, shed, or paving sits. If a structure crosses a line in either direction, this is the last straightforward moment to deal with it.
What kind of deed is the seller giving me, and what does it promise about the title?
Why ask it
A general warranty deed, a special or limited warranty deed and a quitclaim deed make very different promises about the past. Which one is customary differs by state and by seller, with estates and banks often giving less. Check it against what the purchase contract called for.
How will our names read on the deed, and in what form are we taking title?
Why ask it
Co-owners can hold title in several ways, and the choice affects what happens to a share when one owner dies or the two of you part. The forms available and their names depend on the state, so settle it with an attorney before the deed is drawn, not when the page is slid across the table.
Was the title search brought up to date just before closing, and what covers the days until the deed is recorded?
Why ask it
A lien or judgment can be filed after the search and before your deed reaches the public record. Companies handle that gap in different ways, with a last-minute update, gap coverage in the policy, or both. Ask which applies to your file and get the answer in an email.
Which recorded covenants or association rules am I bound by once I take title?
Why ask it
Recorded restrictions come with the land whether or not anyone handed you a copy. Ask for the documents themselves and look for the rules people trip over: fences, parked vehicles, short-term rentals, exterior changes. If you were owed a review period for association documents, confirm it has run.
The loan
Do the rate, the loan amount, the term and the loan type on the note match what I locked?
Why ask it
The promissory note is the page that sets these, whatever anyone said on the phone. Lay it beside your written lock confirmation and compare figure by figure, including whether the rate is fixed. An adjustable loan comes with a rider explaining how the rate moves, so the presence of one you did not expect is a reason to stop.
Were the points I paid for applied to the rate, and where are they listed?
Why ask it
Discount points are a fee paid at closing in exchange for a lower rate, and they sit with the origination charges on the Closing Disclosure. Confirm the number of points and the rate they bought against your lock confirmation, because a point charged without the matching rate is money for nothing.
Can you break my monthly payment into principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance?
Why ask it
People remember one number and forget that only part of it is the loan. On a fixed-rate loan the principal and interest stay put while the tax and insurance portions are reset as those bills change, so the split shows which part of the payment is able to move.
What is in my escrow account, what will it pay, and what happens if the taxes are reassessed?
Why ask it
Where a sale triggers a reassessment, the opening escrow figure can rest on the previous owner's lower tax bill, and the shortfall surfaces at the first yearly review. Ask which tax figure the escrow was built on and what the monthly payment becomes if the property is reassessed at your purchase price.
If I am paying mortgage insurance, when can it come off and what do I have to do?
Why ask it
On many conventional loans it can be removed once you reach a set level of equity, but usually only when the borrower asks, and loans backed by a government program follow their own rules. Get the threshold, the request process and whether an appraisal is needed in writing today, rather than trying to reconstruct it in three years.
Is there a prepayment penalty, a balloon payment or anything that lets the payment rise?
Why ask it
The first page of the Closing Disclosure answers each of these with a plain yes or no. All three answers should match the loan you were quoted, and a yes you were not expecting is worth a phone call to the loan officer from the table.
When is my first payment due, who do I pay, and might the loan be transferred?
Why ask it
Servicing is often handed to another company within weeks of closing, and a first payment sent to the old one after the handover is easy to lose track of. Write down the date and the payee, and ask how you will be told if the servicer changes.
Can I pay extra toward principal, and how do I make sure it is applied that way?
Why ask it
Extra money sent without instructions is sometimes held as an early payment instead of reducing the balance. Ask how the servicer wants principal-only payments marked, online or on the coupon, and check the next statement to see that it worked.
Which of these papers commits me to living in the house, and for how long?
Why ask it
Loans priced for an owner who lives in the home normally include an occupancy promise, with a date to move in by and a period to stay. That matters if a job move or a plan to rent the place out is on the horizon. Read the clause, and ask the lender what it expects if your circumstances change.
What does the mortgage or deed of trust allow the lender to do if I fall behind?
Why ask it
The note is the promise to pay, and this second document is what ties that promise to the house. Have the closer show you the sections on default and on calling the whole balance due. How foreclosure works differs widely by state, so questions about your rights belong with an attorney.
At the table
Can you tell me what each document is before I sign it?
Why ask it
A good closer names each page and says what it does in a sentence, and slowing the pace is a reasonable request. In many places a closer who is not an attorney may not tell you whether you should sign. If that is the advice you want, bring your own attorney or have one on the phone.
Do my name, the property address and the legal description read exactly right on every page?
Why ask it
A dropped middle initial, a wrong unit number or a lot number off by one digit can mean documents signed and recorded a second time. Corrected at the table it takes a few minutes and a reprint. Check the deed and the mortgage with particular care, since those are the two that go on the public record.
Are there blanks on anything I am being asked to sign?
Why ask it
An empty amount, date or name can be filled in later by someone else. Ask for the figure to be entered or the space struck through and initialed before your signature goes on, and expect an honest closer to agree without fuss.
If something in these documents turns out to be wrong after I sign, how is it corrected?
Why ask it
Many closing packages include a correction or compliance agreement that commits you to sign amended paperwork if a clerical error is found. Read how far it reaches, because the wording is often broad, and confirm that a change to a material term would need your agreement rather than just your signature.
Is the seller signing here today, and may I ask them about the house?
Why ask it
It may be the only time the two of you are in one room. Where the shutoffs are, who serviced the furnace and which key fits the back door are easier to hear from the person who lived there. If the seller signed earlier or elsewhere, hand your agent a short written list to pass on.
Which of today's costs will my tax preparer ask about, and where are they on the statement?
Why ask it
Points, prepaid interest and property taxes paid at closing are the lines a preparer tends to want. Whether any of them reduces your tax depends on your own situation, so treat the closer's answer as a pointer to the right lines and take the question itself to a tax professional.
Will I leave with a complete copy of everything I signed?
Why ask it
Ask for the full signed set on paper or as a secure download the same day, not a promise to mail it. Before leaving, look for the note, the Closing Disclosure and the mortgage or deed of trust in the pile, as those are the ones a servicer or a later lender will refer to.
Keys and after
Does the money move at the table, or only after the lender has reviewed the signed papers?
Why ask it
In some states funds go out at the signing, and in others the lender reviews the signed package first and releases the money a day or more later. The answer sets when the seller is paid and, under many contracts, when the house becomes yours to enter.
What happens if the funding does not arrive today?
Why ask it
Wires miss cut-offs and lenders occasionally fund late. Ask what happens to your rate lock, whether you can still move in, where your belongings go if you cannot, and who bears the cost when the delay belongs to the lender rather than to you.
Who has the keys, and what time today do I actually get possession?
Why ask it
Possession does not always happen at signing: it can be on funding, on recording, or at a time set in the contract, and in some states that is days later. Ask about garage and alarm codes, mailbox keys, and any keys held by a cleaner, gardener, or tenant.
Is the seller staying on after closing, and what does the written agreement say about rent, damage and the move-out date?
Why ask it
A seller who stays is a short-term occupant of a house you now own and insure. The arrangement should be on paper with an end date, a daily charge, a deposit held in escrow and a line on who covers what breaks. Lenders and insurers can limit how long it may run, so check with both.
When will the deed be recorded, and how do I get the recorded copy and the title policy?
Why ask it
Recording is what makes your ownership a matter of public record, and the lag runs from the same day to several weeks depending on the county. Ask when to expect the recorded deed and the policy, and chase them if nothing has arrived within a couple of months.
Who tells the tax office, the association and the utilities that the owner has changed?
Why ask it
Recording the deed updates the land records and little else. The tax bill's mailing address, the association's ledger and the water account commonly need a notice from you, and the closer can say which of those their office sends and which are yours to do this week.
Is there a homestead exemption or other property tax relief I have to apply for, and by what date?
Why ask it
Where relief for owner-occupiers exists, it usually has to be applied for and is not granted because a deed was recorded. The rules and deadlines are set by the state or county, so ask the closer which office handles it and whether buying this year affects when you can file.
Is there a home warranty with this sale, who paid for it, and how do I make a claim?
Why ask it
When one was negotiated, it should show on the statement with the plan's name and its cost. Get the contract number, the start date and the fee charged for each service call, and read what it leaves out before the first thing breaks. It is a service contract with limits, separate from your insurance.
What mail should I expect after closing, and which letters can I ignore?
Why ask it
Once the deed is public, official-looking offers arrive: companies charging for a copy of your deed, and insurance pitches printed with your lender's name. Ask what the genuine letters from the servicer and the county will look like, so the first payment notice does not get thrown out with the rest.
Who do I call in six months about the loan, and who about the title?
Why ask it
A question about escrow, a tax bill, or a boundary will arrive long after everyone at the table has moved on to other files. Take names, direct numbers, and the file or loan number, and keep them with the documents rather than buried in email.
Getting Through a Closing Without Surprises
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
The three days before
- Read the Closing Disclosure against your Loan Estimate, and list every difference before you arrive.
- Confirm the wire instructions by phone on a number you looked up yourself, and never act on instructions that arrive by email amendment.
- Make sure your funds have actually cleared into the account you are wiring from; a hold on a deposit stops a closing dead.
- Do the final walk-through as late as possible, with the utilities on, and test faucets, heating, and every appliance that is staying.
- Do not open new credit, change jobs, or make a large purchase in this period; lenders commonly re-pull credit and re-verify employment close to funding.
- Ask whether the loan is clear to close and when the rate lock runs out, so a slipped date does not also cost you the rate.
- Bring unexpired government photo identification in the name printed on the documents, and ask the closer whether a second form of ID is wanted.
At the table
You are entitled to read what you sign, and a closing that has been rushed is where errors survive. Check that every name is spelled as it appears on your identification, that the property address and legal description match, and that the loan amount, rate, term, and any prepayment or balloon terms are exactly what you were quoted. If a document says something different from what you were told, stop and get it corrected before signing rather than after; once funds have disbursed, your leverage is largely gone. Ask for a complete copy of the signed package before you leave, on paper or as a file you can download the same day.
Things that surprise new owners
- The escrow payment rising after the first yearly review, in places where the county reassesses at the price you paid.
- An HOA transfer or capital contribution fee that nobody mentioned until the settlement statement.
- A property tax bill mailed to the seller's forwarding address, and a late notice arriving in your name.
- Utilities never switched over, because the seller closed the account and nobody opened a new one.
- The loan being sold to a different servicer within the first two months.
- Discovering that the agreed repair was credited rather than done, and is now yours to organize.
Keep these somewhere you will find them
- The signed Closing Disclosure and the full settlement statement.
- The recorded deed and your owner's title insurance policy, once they arrive.
- The survey, any HOA governing documents, and the disclosures the seller provided.
- Receipts for any improvement you make from now on, since a tax preparer may want them when you eventually sell.
- The loan number, servicer contact, escrow contact, and title company file number on one page.