The Phase Most FSBO Sellers Aren’t Ready For
You found a buyer, negotiated the offer, and signed the contract. Congratulations — you’re about 40% done.
The contract-to-close period is 30-45 days of overlapping deadlines, coordinated access, and paperwork that needs to go to the right place at the right time. Miss one deadline and you give the buyer leverage you didn’t intend to give. Miss a bigger one and the deal falls apart.
Here’s every step, in order, so nothing catches you off guard.
Table of Contents
▼Critical Deadlines Timeline
Pin this to your wall. Every one of these dates is calculated from the day the contract is executed (Day 0).
- Day 0: Contract executed — both parties signed
- Day 1-3: Earnest money delivered to title company
- Day 1-10: Option period — buyer can walk for any reason
- Day 1-10: Home inspection, repair negotiations, amendments
- Day 10-15: Title commitment issued by title company
- Day 5-10 after commitment: Title objection period
- Day 14-25: Appraisal ordered, completed, reviewed
- Day 21-30: Financing approval deadline
- Day 25-35: Lender issues “clear to close”
- Day 27-37: Preliminary Closing Disclosure — review for accuracy
- Day 29-39: Final walkthrough
- Day 30-45: Closing and funding
These overlap. On any given day during the middle of the transaction, three or four things are happening simultaneously. That’s what makes this phase difficult to manage without experience.
Phase 1: Intake (Day 0-3)
The first 72 hours set the pace for the entire transaction. Here’s what needs to happen immediately:
Send everything to title. The executed contract, all addenda, the seller’s disclosure, and any amendments. The title company can’t start their work until they have the contract. Don’t wait — send it the day it’s signed.
Confirm earnest money delivery. The buyer typically has 3 days to deposit earnest money with the title company. Until that money is received, the contract isn’t fully binding. Follow up with title to confirm receipt.
Verify the option fee. The buyer pays the option fee directly to you. This starts the option period clock. If you haven’t received it, the option period hasn’t started — which changes every deadline downstream.
Calendar every deadline. Open your calendar right now. Enter every deadline from the timeline above using the actual dates from your contract. Set reminders 2 days before each one.
Confirm all utilities are on. Inspectors and appraisers need working electricity, gas, and water. If any utility is off, inspections get delayed, which pushes the option period to the wire or forces an extension request.
Phase 2: Contingencies (Day 3-25)
This is the longest and most complex phase. Three tracks run simultaneously: inspections, title work, and appraisal.
Option Period and Inspections
The buyer will schedule a general home inspection within the first few days. They may also bring in specialists — foundation, roof, termite, pool, sewer scope. You need to provide access and stay out of the house while inspectors work.
After inspections, expect a repair request. Almost every resale home in Houston gets one. The buyer sends an amendment requesting repairs, credits, or both. You negotiate, agree on terms, and send the signed amendment to the title company.
This is where FSBO sellers are at the biggest disadvantage. You’re negotiating repair requests directly against a professional buyer’s agent who knows exactly which items are worth pushing on and which are noise. A $15,000 repair request might be reasonable at $6,000. Without market context, you won’t know the difference.
Title Work (Runs in Parallel)
While inspections happen, the title company is doing their own work:
- Title commitment — a report showing the property’s ownership history, existing liens, and any encumbrances. Issued around Day 10-15.
- Title objection period — the buyer has 5-10 days after receiving the commitment to object to any title issues.
- HOA resale certificate — if you have an HOA, the title company orders this. It shows dues, assessments, violations, and reserve balances. Cost is typically $200-400.
- Survey — the buyer may require a new survey or accept your existing one with a T-47 affidavit (a sworn statement that nothing has changed since the last survey).
Appraisal
The buyer’s lender orders the appraisal, usually around Day 14-20. You’ll need to provide access. Before the appraiser arrives, prepare a list of upgrades and improvements with approximate costs and dates. The appraiser doesn’t know you replaced the roof in 2024 unless you tell them.
If the appraisal comes in low — below the contract price — you have three options: the buyer makes up the difference in cash, you reduce the price, or you meet somewhere in the middle. This is a negotiation, and it’s one of the most stressful moments in a FSBO transaction.
Sell your home for just 1% commission.
Cascading Disclosures
Your initial seller’s disclosure may trigger additional required disclosures. If the property is in a floodplain, has known foundation issues, or has had previous insurance claims, there are supplemental forms that must be provided. Missing a required disclosure creates legal liability that survives closing.
Phase 3: Home Stretch (Day 25 to Closing)
The contingencies are behind you. Now it’s about confirming everything lands on time.
Confirm financing approval. The Third Party Financing Addendum sets a deadline for the buyer to obtain loan approval. If the deadline passes without approval, the buyer can terminate and get their earnest money back. Confirm with the buyer’s agent (or buyer directly) that approval is on track before this deadline.
Send repair receipts to title. If you agreed to make repairs, send receipts and documentation to the title company. The buyer will want to verify the work was completed before closing.
Review the Preliminary Closing Disclosure line by line. This document shows every dollar in the transaction. Check:
- Sale price matches the contract (including any amendments)
- Earnest money credit applied correctly
- Option fee credit applied correctly
- Repair credits match the amendment
- Commission amounts are correct
- Prorated property taxes calculated accurately
- HOA dues prorated correctly
- Title insurance premium is accurate
- Your net proceeds match your expectations
Errors on the closing disclosure are common. Catch them now, not at the closing table.
Phase 4: Closing Day
Final Walkthrough
The buyer does a final walkthrough the day before or the morning of closing. They’re checking that the property is in the same condition as when they went under contract, agreed-upon repairs were completed, and you haven’t removed anything that was supposed to convey (like the refrigerator or curtain rods).
Before You Leave the House
- Leave all keys, garage remotes, gate codes, and mailbox keys
- Leave appliance manuals and warranty documents
- Turn off the sprinkler system (or leave the schedule)
- Set the thermostat to a reasonable temperature
- Cancel or transfer: utilities, lawn service, alarm monitoring, cable/internet
At the Closing Table
- Bring government-issued photo ID
- Bring all keys and remotes
- Sign the paperwork — the title company walks you through each document
- Verify wire instructions directly with the title company by phone. Wire fraud is real. Do not trust wire instructions sent by email without verbal confirmation.
After Closing
- Save all closing documents for tax purposes — you’ll need them when you file
- Confirm your mortgage escrow refund arrives within 30 days
- File a change of address with USPS, your bank, insurance, and the DMV
- Notify the county appraisal district of the sale (this usually happens automatically through deed recording, but verify)
Sell your home for just 1% commission.
The Honest Take
The contract-to-close period is manageable if you’re organized, responsive, and willing to learn the process. But it’s also where the cost of mistakes gets expensive. A missed deadline can give the buyer a free exit. A botched repair negotiation can cost you $5,000-10,000. A closing disclosure error you don’t catch comes straight out of your net proceeds.
If you’ve made it this far selling FSBO, you’ve done the hard part. Don’t let the paperwork phase undo the work you’ve already put in.
Related Guides
- How to Sell Your House Without a Realtor in Houston
- How to Price Your Home for Sale by Owner
- How to Market Your FSBO Home in Houston
- How to Show Your Home as a FSBO Seller
- How to Handle Offers When Selling FSBO
- FSBO vs Realtor: Is Selling Without an Agent Worth It?
- How to List on MLS Without a Realtor
- Option Period in Texas Real Estate
- Earnest Money vs Option Fee in Texas
- Third Party Financing Addendum in Texas
- Discount Realtor Houston: Full-Service Listing for 1%
- How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House in Houston?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to close on a house in Texas?
Most residential transactions close in 30-45 days from executed contract. Cash deals can close in 10-14 days. The timeline depends primarily on the buyer's lender — appraisal scheduling and underwriting are the two biggest variables.
What happens between contract and closing?
Four phases: intake (sending documents to title, confirming earnest money and option fee), contingencies (inspections, title work, appraisal), home stretch (lender clear-to-close, closing disclosure review), and closing day (final walkthrough, signing, funding).
Can a buyer back out after the option period?
Only under specific contract conditions — financing denial, title defects the seller can't cure, or the seller's default. After the option period expires, the buyer's earnest money is at risk if they terminate without a contractual right to do so.
What does 'clear to close' mean?
Clear to close means the lender has completed underwriting, verified all conditions, and approved the loan for funding. It's the green light that the buyer's financing is locked in and closing can proceed.
Do I need a real estate attorney to close FSBO in Texas?
It's not legally required — the title company handles the closing. But a real estate attorney ($500-1,500) can review your contract, advise on amendments, and catch issues before they become expensive. For FSBO sellers, this is money well spent.
