What Happens at Closing in Florida: The Hour, Step by Step
What happens at closing Florida buyers walk into is a signing session run by the title company, not the lender. Knowing the order of events removes most of the nerves.
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.
What happens at closing Florida buyers walk into is a signing appointment run by the title company, not by the lender.
The order of events is the same at nearly every closing table in the state. Knowing it in advance removes most of the nerves.
Who is in the room
A closing agent from the title company runs the session.
You, and any co-borrower, sign.
The seller often signs separately, sometimes on a different day.
Your agent and loan officer may attend but do not have to.
Before you arrive
Your wire or cashier's cheque for cash to close should already be sent or in hand.
See our guide to reading your Closing Disclosure for the exact figure.
Bring a government photo identification.
Bring proof of your homeowners insurance if the title company asks.
Identity verification
The closing agent checks your identification against the documents.
A notary witnesses your signatures on the recorded documents.
Florida requires two witnesses on a deed, which the title company supplies.
This step protects you against fraud as much as anyone else.
The promissory note
This is your promise to repay the loan.
It states the amount, the rate, the term and the payment.
It is the single most important document you sign.
Read the figures against your Closing Disclosure before you sign.
The mortgage
This document pledges the home as security for the note.
It gets recorded in the county public records after closing.
See our guide to title insurance in Florida for what recording protects.
The note and the mortgage are two documents doing two jobs.
The deed
The seller signs the deed transferring ownership to you.
It names how you hold title.
See our guide to how to hold title in Florida.
Check the spelling of every name on it.
The Closing Disclosure and settlement statement
You sign the final Closing Disclosure acknowledging the figures.
A settlement statement shows every debit and credit for both sides.
Ask about any line you do not recognise.
The CFPB explains the closing documents one by one.
Affidavits and disclosures
You sign an occupancy affidavit stating you will live in the home if it is a primary residence.
You sign disclosures about escrow, servicing and your right to a copy of the appraisal.
A compliance agreement lets the title company fix clerical errors later.
These are routine, but read what you are attesting to.
Florida-specific documents
A homestead-related affidavit may appear if the seller claimed the exemption.
Documentary stamp and intangible tax appear on the settlement statement.
See our guide to Florida doc stamps and intangible tax.
A survey affidavit may substitute for a new survey.
How long it takes
A purchase closing usually runs forty-five to ninety minutes.
A refinance is shorter.
A remote online closing can be faster still.
Do not schedule anything tight afterward.
Remote and mobile closings
Florida allows remote online notarisation for most closing documents.
A mobile notary can also come to you.
See our guide to power of attorney closings in Florida if you cannot sign yourself.
Ask the title company which options they offer.
Funding versus signing
Signing does not mean the loan has funded.
The lender reviews the signed package, then wires the funds.
On a purchase, keys usually follow funding the same day.
On a refinance of a primary residence, a three-day rescission period comes first.
The rescission period
A refinance on your primary home carries a three-business-day right to cancel.
Funding happens after that window closes.
Purchases do not carry this period.
Plan your payoff and any cash-out around the delay.
Getting the keys
Once the lender confirms funding and the deed is sent for recording, the sale is complete.
Your agent or the title company hands over keys, codes and remotes.
See our guide to the new construction walkthrough in Florida for a builder purchase.
Change the locks within the first week.
What can delay a closing day
A late wire, a missing identification, a last-minute lender condition.
See our guide to what not to do before closing in Florida.
Most delays are hours, not days, when everyone is prepared.
Confirm the wire the morning before.
After you leave the table
The title company records the deed and mortgage with the county.
You receive copies of everything you signed.
See our guide to what to do after closing in Florida.
Your first payment letter arrives within a few weeks.
Cash to close versus down payment
Cash to close is the down payment plus closing costs minus credits.
It is the figure on the last page of the Closing Disclosure.
Bring or wire exactly that amount.
A shortfall of even a few hundred dollars delays funding.
Questions to ask at the table
Which documents get recorded and when.
When the first payment is due and to whom.
How and when the escrow refund from a prior loan arrives on a refinance.
The closing agent answers these every day.
Where to start
Read your Closing Disclosure the day it arrives, not at the table.
Confirm your wire instructions by phone on a known number.
Then arrive with identification and time to spare. Start with a pre-approval if you are not yet under contract.