Closing Day and Moving in…

Your real estate agent has brought you to closing date and time of closing. It is critical that you take careof following aspects of closing day:

• Make sure that you and your agent take a final walk through of the home you are buying in coordination with sellers’ agent. It is extremely important to make sure that the property, its appliances, and fixtures, are all intact, and the property is cleaned up before you go the closing.
• Make sure the keys you will be given at the closing are functional. Your agent will help you here since he/she has the keys.
• There should be no sale signage on the property on the day of closing.
• Make note of the utility meters readings so you can get the connections transferred to you name the same day. Maybe good idea to have a handing-taking over of utilities with the seller with its meter reading at the closing table. This is proof of switch over in case utility companies need it.
• Call the utility companies to switch over the accounts of the property to your name.
• If you are moving in the same day, coordinate it well with your moving company.
• Fix appointment with a locksmith to change locks, or do it yourself if you can. If you are satisfied that no one else can have the duplicate key, then you can skip this step. You will get keys at the closing table.

• Notify the HOA Management company within a week that you are the new owner of the property, and that bills should come to you. Ensure HOA has its records clear on the property.
• If there are some parking restrictions and allotted parking slots, have the HOA Management send you stickers and instructions.
• If there are some common mailbox slots, make sure you have checked keys to you allotted mailbox.
• When you are done with ‘walk through’ inspection of the home, go for settlement. Make sure you have cashier check with you that your settlement agent asked you to bring.
• Use dark blue ink pens with you to affix your autographs on the papers that settlement office asks you sign at the settlement table. When done, give final hand shake and take keys.
• Congratulations ! You have entered homeownership.

It’s now party time!

DO NOTIFY…

• Utility companies to transfer accountsin your name.
• Post office to re-direct your mail from previous address to your new address.
• Management company of Homeowners Association that HOA bills are sent to you.
• Address change to your friends, relatives, office, bank, credit cards, DMV, insurancecompanies,post office, etc.