Closing Day Checklist for Florida Buyers: What to Bring and What to Check
A closing day checklist Florida buyers follow covers the wire, the ID, the walkthrough and the documents. Most closing-day problems are timing problems that a list prevents.
Educational content only. This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial, legal, or lending advice. Loan programs, rates, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Consult a licensed mortgage professional before making any borrowing decision. Mortgage Capital | NMLS# 1859012 | Licensed in Florida.
A closing day checklist Florida buyers follow covers the money, the identification, the walkthrough and the documents in the order they matter.
Most closing-day problems are timing problems. The list prevents them. Our guide to what happens at closing in Florida covers the room itself.
Three days before: the closing disclosure
The lender must deliver it three business days before closing.
See our guide to the closing disclosure and first payment in Florida.
Compare every line to the Loan Estimate.
The cash-to-close figure is the wire amount.
Question anything that moved.
Two days before: the wire
Call the title company on a number you already have and confirm wire instructions by voice.
Wire fraud targets Florida closings every week.
The FBI explains business email compromise and its real estate variant.
Send the wire a day early.
Never accept changed instructions by email.
The day before: the walkthrough
Walk the home with your agent after the seller has moved out.
See our guide to the final walkthrough in Florida.
Test appliances, plumbing, air conditioning and every light.
Confirm agreed repairs are complete.
Photograph problems for the closing table.
What to bring
Government-issued photo ID for every borrower; some title companies require two.
Proof of the wire or a cashier's check if permitted.
The closing disclosure copy.
Your homeowners insurance binder.
A pen; you will sign for an hour.
Who must attend
Every borrower on the loan.
In Florida, a spouse not on the loan must sign the mortgage on a homestead.
See our guide to the Florida homestead exemption.
A power of attorney needs lender approval in advance.
Remote online notarisation is allowed in Florida with lender consent.
Insurance
The policy must be bound with the lender listed as mortgagee.
See our guide to Florida homeowners insurance cost.
The first year's premium is paid at or before closing.
Flood insurance if required, with its own binder.
See our guide to flood insurance in Florida.
What not to do that week
No new credit, no large purchases, no job changes, no moving money without a paper trail.
See our guide to what not to do before closing in Florida.
The lender re-pulls credit before funding.
A new car loan can kill the closing.
Wait until after you have the keys.
Documents you will sign
The note, the mortgage, the closing disclosure, the deed acknowledgment and the affidavits.
Florida doc stamps are collected on the note and the deed.
See our guide to Florida doc stamps and intangible tax.
The title company explains each.
Ask about anything you do not understand before signing it.
Prorations
Property taxes are prorated to the closing date.
Florida taxes are paid in arrears, so the seller credits you for their share.
See our guide to closing costs in Florida.
Association dues are prorated the same way.
Check the math on the settlement statement.
Funding and keys
On a purchase, the lender funds after signing and the deed records.
Keys change hands when the title company confirms recording.
That can be the same afternoon or the next morning.
Do not schedule movers for the hour after signing.
See our guide to the after-closing checklist in Florida.
Utilities
Transfer electric, water and internet to your name effective closing day.
Florida utilities often require a deposit for new accounts.
Schedule it a week ahead.
The seller cancels their service the same day.
A gap leaves a dark house.
Association
Bring the association approval letter if the community requires one.
See our guide to HOA and mortgage approval in Florida.
Gate codes, fobs and parking passes transfer at closing.
Confirm the estoppel balance was paid.
Register with the association within the week.
New construction
The certificate of occupancy must be issued before closing.
See our guide to new construction mortgages in Florida.
Bring the punch list from the builder walkthrough.
Warranty documents come at the table.
The builder's lender and title company may run the closing.
If something is wrong
A walkthrough problem can be fixed with a seller credit or an escrow holdback.
A document error can be corrected at the table.
A wire that has not arrived delays funding, not the signing.
Do not sign under pressure.
A one-day delay is cheaper than a mistake.
After you leave
Keep every signed document in one folder.
File for homestead by March 1 of the next year.
Note the first payment date and the servicer.
See our guide to mortgage servicers versus lenders in Florida.
Change the locks.
Timing the closing hour
Morning closings leave time to fix problems and still record the same day.
Afternoon closings can push recording to the next business day.
Friday afternoons are the worst slot; a problem waits until Monday.
Ask the title company for the earliest available time.
The lender's funding cutoff matters too.
Where to start
Print this list a week before closing and check items off as they happen.
Confirm the wire by phone before anything else.
Then start a conversation if any figure on the closing disclosure needs explaining.