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Buyer's Guidechevron_rightStep 8 of 8

Close and move in, then the first year

The short answer

Closing is the meeting where you sign the loan and the deed, pay the rest of your money, and get the keys. In Georgia, a closing attorney runs it. At least three business days before, your lender must send you a Closing Disclosure: compare it with your Loan Estimate. Then do a final walkthrough to check the home is in the condition you agreed.

scheduleOften 30–45 days after the offerdescriptionClosing Disclosure 3 business days beforekeyKeys at closing
By David Knorr · Last reviewed October 28, 2026

The weeks before closing

  • The appraisal. Your lender orders it to check the home is worth what you're borrowing.
  • Underwriting. The lender checks your documents again. Keep your finances quiet: no new credit, no job changes.
  • Homeowners insurance. Your lender needs proof of a policy before closing. Get quotes early, and check whether you need flood insurance.
  • Title. The closing attorney checks that the seller can sell the home and that no one else has a claim to it. Title insurance protects you against claims that turn up later.

Check your Closing Disclosure

Your Closing Disclosure arrives at least three business days before closing. Put it next to your Loan Estimate. Some fees can't go up at all and others only by a little, so ask about anything that changed. The cash to close on page 3 is what you'll bring.

Never wire money on an email alone

Criminals send fake wire instructions that look like they came from your attorney or agent. Before you send money, call your closing attorney at a phone number you already know, not one in the email, and confirm the details. Wire fraud money is rarely recovered.

The final walkthrough

Usually a day or two before closing. Check that agreed repairs were done (ask for the receipts), the appliances that stay are there and working, nothing was damaged in the move-out, and the heating, cooling and water work. See final walkthrough.

Your first year

  • Apply for the homestead exemption. If you own and live in the home on January 1, apply to your county by April 1. It lowers your property tax bill.
  • Change the locks and find the water shut-off and the breaker panel.
  • Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and change the heating and cooling filter.
  • Keep every receipt for repairs and improvements.
  • Watch for PMI removal. On a conventional loan you can ask to drop it once you owe 80% of the original value, and it ends on its own at 78%.

Dos and don'ts

check_circleDo

  • checkCompare the Closing Disclosure with your Loan Estimate, line by line.
  • checkConfirm wire instructions by phone, at a number you already know.
  • checkDo the final walkthrough, even if you're tired of the house.
  • checkApply for the homestead exemption by April 1.

cancelDon't

  • closeOpen new credit or change jobs before closing.
  • closeWire money because an email told you to.
  • closeSkip checking the agreed repairs.
  • closeThrow away your closing documents.

Questions to ask

Your closing attorney

  1. What is my exact cash to close, and how should I pay it?
  2. Which documents can I read before the day?
  3. How do I confirm your wire instructions safely?

See it on a real home

Our sample report is the founder's own home in Marietta, Georgia. Here is what this step looks like, read for you:

home
775 Hampton Pl SW
Sample report
folder_openThe title and ownership recordsWhat the closing attorney checks before you buyopen_in_newhandshakeWhat was asked for at closingThe credit request, item by itemopen_in_new

Terms on this page

AppraisalHomeowners insuranceTitle insuranceClosing DisclosureLoan EstimateWire fraudFinal walkthroughHomestead exemptionPMI

infoGeneral information based on the standard Georgia REALTORS® purchase contract and public guidance. Your own contract decides: read it, and ask your agent or closing attorney about anything that matters. Not legal or financial advice.

Sources
← Step 7Negotiate repairsFree tool →Questions to ask