Escrow Inspections & Appraisals

This is where deals are secured and details matter.

Once your offer is accepted, the process enters a critical phase of contracts, deadlines, and due diligence. Here’s how to stay proactive, protect your interests, and set the stage for a strong closing.

The Playbook for Securing Your Investment

The Agreement & Deposit

Your agreement is a legal contract between you and the seller and there’s no room for loose ends. Every promise, counteroffer, and term must be in writing, reviewed, and signed by both parties. Your agent will guide you through the paperwork and ensure you have a clear, accurate, and complete file.

Timeline Management

Time kills deals. Once your offer is accepted, you and the seller will follow a strict timeline for inspections, disclosures, and closing. Staying on schedule keeps the deal alive and positions you for a smooth close.

The Role of the Title Company

In Texas, the title company is your transaction’s anchor. They don’t just close deals they protect your investment. Here’s what they handle:

• Title Examination: The title company conducts a thorough review of the property’s title to ensure it’s free from liens, encumbrances, or legal issues that could cloud your ownership.
• Escrow Services: They hold earnest money, option fees, and other funds in a secure escrow account, releasing them only when all contractual obligations are met.
• Contract Compliance: They ensure all parties meet their deadlines including option periods, financing deadlines, and closing dates to keep the deal on track.
• Document Coordination: They prepare, manage, and facilitate the signing of closing documents for both buyer and seller.
• Disbursement of Funds: They distribute funds properly to all parties upon closing ensuring no details are missed.
• Recording: They file the deed and other legal documents with the county to officially transfer ownership to you.

In Texas, you won’t have a separate “closing agent” like in some other states the title company runs the show.

Inspections

This isn’t a formality, it’s critical risk management.

For residential properties, a licensed inspector will assess key systems like the roof, HVAC, and structure. For commercial properties, you may need specialized reports environmental audits, zoning compliance checks, or structural assessments. Your agent will help you coordinate inspections and negotiate results.

Depending on the outcome of these inspections, one of two things may happen: Either each milestone is successfully closed and the contingencies will be removed, bringing you one step closer to the close, or

1. Proceed to close as-is, with contingencies removed, bringing you one step closer to the closing table.

2. Renegotiate based on findings whether it’s price, repairs, or terms.

Appraisals & Lending

If you’re financing, your lender will order an appraisal to ensure the property’s value supports the loan. Appraisers evaluate square footage, market comps, income potential, and property condition. As you approach closing, stay in constant communication with your lender to avoid delays and ensure the loan is ready when you are.

Property Insurance

Insurance isn’t optional, it’s protection. Lenders require it, so shop around, compare rates, and make sure your coverage fully safeguards the property and your investment.

This is the phase where deals are either secured or lost. Every detail is a strategic decision point, each one shaping the outcome of your investment. This is where your diligence, precision, and focus must be at their sharpest because this is the moment when investments are secured, ownership transfers, and your vision becomes reality.