What Happens After You Accept an Offer on Your Home?

The Agreement of Sale becomes your rulebook

Once buyer and seller have a fully executed Agreement of Sale, price, deposits, contingencies, included personal property, closing date, and possession terms live in that document and its addenda. Read what you signed. Ask your agent or attorney to explain any clause you do not understand before a deadline passes.

Amendments must be written and signed. Verbal side deals about repairs, dates, or fixtures create confusion and risk. Keep a clean file of the agreement, counteroffers, and every later change. If you are also buying, coordinate both contracts deliberately rather than assuming one will flex automatically for the other.

• Put inspection, financing, appraisal, and closing dates on a shared calendar the day of acceptance.
• Confirm what personal property conveys and what you will remove.
• Note any seller obligations already written in—repairs, credits, certificates, or occupancy terms.

Earnest money deposits

Buyer deposits are typically delivered to the escrow holder named in the contract within the stated timeframe. Who holds the deposit, when it becomes non-refundable, and how disputes are handled are contractual questions. As the seller, track whether the deposit arrived on time; ask your agent to confirm receipt rather than assuming it cleared.

Deposit size and timing can signal buyer seriousness, but they do not replace financing or inspection outcomes. Do not spend as if the deposit is already your money. Escrow release follows the agreement and applicable rules if the deal terminates.

• Verify the escrow holder’s name and the due date for deposit delivery.
• Keep notices about deposit status with your transaction file.
• Ask how additional deposit installments work if your contract stages them.

Inspection period and negotiation

During the inspection contingency window, buyers often schedule a general home inspection and may add specialty tests—radon, sewer or septic, well, wood-destroying insects, chimney, and others depending on the property. Your job is reasonable access, working utilities, and honesty about known conditions already disclosed.

After inspections, buyers may request repairs, credits, price changes, or other terms—or they may proceed or terminate if the contract allows. Respond in writing within the deadlines. Prioritize safety and major systems when negotiating; not every inspection comment requires a seller fix. Estimates help everyone discuss dollars instead of vague “make it new” requests.

EPA radon resources and FEMA flood map tools are references buyers may use; your disclosures and the property’s actual systems remain the baseline for conversation.

• Leave the home show-ready and accessible for inspectors, including attic and basement areas when safe.
• Do not argue with inspectors on site; channel responses through your agent after you read the report.
• Calendar your response deadline immediately when a repair request arrives.

Buyer financing contingency

If the buyer is financing, the contract usually includes a mortgage contingency with a deadline. The buyer’s lender will request documents, order an appraisal, and underwrite the loan. Sellers cannot control underwriting, but you can avoid creating new title or access problems and respond quickly when the lender needs information about the property.

A financing contingency does not guarantee the loan will close. If the buyer cannot obtain financing under the contract’s terms, remedies depend on the Agreement of Sale. Ask your agent how to read status updates without treating optimistic emails as clear-to-close.

• Confirm the financing deadline and any proof-of-progress requirements in your contract.
• Keep utilities on so appraisal and underwriting-related visits can occur.
• Avoid large last-minute property changes that complicate valuation or title.

Appraisal

The lender’s appraisal supports the collateral decision for a financed purchase. The appraiser may need interior access. Provide improvement invoices if asked through your agent. An appraisal that differs from contract price triggers options defined by the contract and the buyer’s lender—not by informal expectations.

Do not coach the appraiser with unsupported claims. Clean, accessible homes with documented updates help the process; pressure tactics do not. Cash transactions may skip lender appraisal, but buyers may still evaluate value independently.

• Prepare a simple list of major updates with approximate dates and costs when available.
• Ensure access instructions are accurate for the appraisal appointment.
• Discuss next steps with your agent promptly if an appraisal gap arises.

Title, municipal, and association items

Title search and clearing happen on a timeline toward settlement. Liens, judgments, estate issues, or unclear ownership must be resolved for a clean transfer. Municipal resale inspections, continued-use certificates, smoke detector affidavits, or similar local requirements vary by township or borough in Pennsylvania. Association questionnaires and resale packets take time—order them early when applicable.

Ask your settlement company what they need from you and when. Delays in municipal appointments or association documents are a common reason closings slip. If you discover a permit or lien issue, surface it early rather than the week of settlement.

• Confirm local resale or certificate requirements for your address.
• Respond to title curative requests as soon as you receive them.
• Provide association contacts and account numbers when asked.

Agreed repairs and credits

If you agree to repairs, put the scope, timing, and proof requirements in writing. Use licensed contractors where required. Keep receipts and photos. If you agree to a credit instead of repairs, confirm how it appears at settlement and whether the buyer’s lender limits credit amounts.

Do not complete informal extra work that was never agreed—or skip work that was. The final walkthrough will check contracted items. Changing included fixtures without an amendment creates disputes at the worst time.

• Schedule repair contractors with buffer before walkthrough and closing.
• Send receipts to your agent when the contract requires proof.
• Update insurance and access if contractors need entry while you are away.

Seller documents and ongoing disclosures

You may be asked for amended disclosures if you learn new material facts, plus keys, remotes, codes, appliance manuals, and affidavit or transfer forms your settlement team provides. Complete Pennsylvania seller disclosure obligations accurately at the start; update when required. Bring identification and any entity documents if the seller is a trust, estate, or company.

Wire fraud and closing scams also affect sellers who are receiving proceeds. CFPB materials warn about mortgage closing scams; verify any change in wiring or payoff instructions by calling a known number for your settlement provider or servicer.

• Gather photo ID and Social Security or tax ID information as settlement requests.
• Collect all keys, garage remotes, mailbox keys, and access devices before closing.
• Ask how and when you will receive net proceeds—wire or other method—and verify instructions carefully.

Moving prep and the final walkthrough

Plan your move against the possession date in the contract, not against an unverified guess. Remove personal property that does not convey, dispose of trash, and leave the home in the condition required—often broom-clean with systems operational. The buyer’s final walkthrough checks that the property matches the agreement and that agreed repairs are done.

If something breaks between contract and closing—storm damage, appliance failure—notify your agent promptly. Insurance claims and contract remedies may apply; silence makes settlement morning harder. Do not wait until walkthrough to mention a new material problem.

• Schedule movers with a backup date if your closing could shift.
• Transfer or cancel utilities per the possession timeline.
• Leave relevant manuals, warranties, and garage codes organized for the buyer if agreed.

Settlement, mortgage payoff, net proceeds, and possession

At settlement, documents transfer ownership per Pennsylvania practice and your contract. Your mortgage servicer is paid off through settlement; ask about per-diem interest and final payoff figures that expire on a given date. Review the settlement statement for commissions, transfer taxes, credits, and prorations. Pennsylvania realty transfer tax guidance explains the tax type; amounts and who pays what depend on contract and locality.

Net proceeds arrive only after payoff and settlement disbursements. Do not write checks against expected wires until funds are confirmed in your account. Possession follows the Agreement of Sale—sometimes at closing, sometimes later under an occupancy agreement. Returning for forgotten items after possession transfers can require buyer permission.

CFPB Closing Disclosure materials focus on borrower forms; as a seller you still review your settlement figures line by line and ask questions before you sign.

• Confirm settlement time, place, and identification requirements in advance.
• Review estimated and final seller figures; ask about anything unrecognized.
• Verify payoff and proceeds wiring using trusted phone numbers—not unexpected email links.