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Seller's Guide
Avoid
Common Closing Delays
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Remember - Prior
planning prevents inconvenience. Awareness of the
following items will help to insure a smooth closing.
Loan
Payoffs
Provide the Title Company with your current loan
information so that they may order your payoff in time for
closing. They need the lender's name, address and/or
telephone number, your loan account number and when you
made your last payment.
Delinquent
Taxes
Most title companies prefer to collect delinquent property
taxes at closing. If you do pay them prior to closing, you
must be able to furnish an original tax receipt to them
prior to closing, otherwise these monies will be withheld
from your sales proceeds until payment of these taxes can
be confirmed.
Escrow
Refunds
Any escrow/impound reserves held by your lender will not
be netted from your payoff at closing. Your lender will
refund these monies after your payoff has cleared and an
analysis of your escrow/impound account has been
completed.
Common
Names
If you have a common surname, please complete a
Confidential Information Statement and return it to the
title company prior to closing.
Power of Attorney
If either party intends to use a Power of Attorney at
closing; i.e., will not be there to sign:
- The title company must
approve the Power of Attorney prior to closing;
- The original Power of
Attorney must be delivered to the title company prior
to closing, as the original must be recorded with the
County Clerk ahead of all other closing documents;
- The title company must
be able to contact you via telephone on the day of
closing to be certain you are alive and well and have
not revoked the Power of Attorney.
Out
of Town Mailouts
If any documents must be mailed out for signatures:
- All documents must be
signed exactly as requested.
- All documents must have
proper notarization.
- Any documents mailed out
of the country must be notarized in English.
Marital
Status
- Texas is a community
property state. If you purchased your property when
you were single and you have married, the title
company will require that your spouse join in the
signing of the deed at closing.
- If you are divorced and
your divorce proceeding was handled in a county other
than Harris, Fort Bend or Galveston County, please
have a certified copy of the Divorce Decree delivered
to the title company prior to closing.
Things
to Bring to Closing
Bring a picture identification with you to closing (your
driver's license will be acceptable).
You must have your social
security numbers available for closing as your sale must
be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
Please bring any extra
house keys, garage door openers, security access or gate
card keys with you to closing to give to the buyers.
Any operating guides for
your appliances which are remaining with the property or
any warranty materials should be left at the property or
given to the buyers at closing.
If you have extra wallpaper or paint that was used at the
property, please leave these materials for the new owners
- they may need to do paint or wallpaper touch-up after
they move in.
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