Everything you wanted to ask
about closing.

All your paperwork. You'll want to bring proof of homeowners insurance, a copy of your contract with the seller, your home inspection reports, anything the bank required to approve your loan, and a government-issued photo ID. (Note to newlyweds who just changed their name: that ID needs to match the name that will appear on the property's title and mortgage.)

Your down payment. You'll already know from your disclosure form exactly how much you'll need for a down payment and closing costs. Since a personal check won't cut it, be sure to ask before closing whether you should wire those funds or bring a cashier's check. Also bring your personal checkbook — that's typically fine for smaller fees and may come in handy if any unforeseen expenses crop up.

Review your Closing Disclosure form. If you're getting a loan, one of the best ways to prepare is to thoroughly review this statement. The Closing Disclosure (CD), or settlement statement, outlines your exact mortgage payments, your loan's terms (such as the interest rate and term) and the additional fees you'll pay, called closing costs (which may total anywhere from 2% to 7% of your home's price). Compare your CD to the estimate your lender gave you at the outset, make sure they're similar, and ask your lender to explain any discrepancies.

Thanks to regulations known as TRID (TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure), you should receive your Closing Disclosure three days before closing, giving you plenty of time to check it over.

Do a final walk-through. A buyer's contract usually allows for a walk-through of the home 24 hours before closing. First, make sure the previous owner has vacated (unless you've agreed to a rent-back arrangement). Second, make sure the home is in the condition agreed upon in the contract — if an inspection revealed problems the sellers agreed to fix, confirm those repairs were made. If you find an issue, bring it up with the sellers as soon as possible; at worst you can simply delay the closing until it's resolved.

The Basic Title Insurance Owner's Policy protects you from defects and liens in the history of your title through the date and time your deed is recorded in the public records.

The Enhanced Title Insurance Owner's Policy provides expanded title coverage for owners of one-to-four family residences, including condominiums.

Read more and compare policies

The proliferation of fraud and business email compromise continues to pose a significant threat to businesses worldwide. The FBI indicates this fraud represents over $5 billion in reported losses to businesses just like yours.

We take your security seriously and intend to inform you whenever threats of this nature arise. We also ask that you remain vigilant and thoroughly investigate any request to gather information, and remember that Heritage Title does not accept changes to wire information via unencrypted email. Fraudsters have become adept at impersonating executives and trusted partners and often use the anonymity of email to communicate with you.

If you receive communication regarding wiring instructions and feel uneasy about its contents, please call our office to verify. All communications of this nature will be done within our secured Qualia portal.