What Happens After a House Offer Is Accepted
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-07-21 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®), affiliated with Silver Door Realty, LLC (License #CQ1064903)
Once a seller accepts an offer, the buyer typically has 24 to 72 hours, or whatever deadline is written into the contract (commonly 1 to 3 business days), to deposit earnest money, usually 1% to 3% of the purchase price, into escrow. From there, the home inspection period usually runs 7 to 10 days while title work and loan underwriting happen at the same time. Underwriting alone typically takes 30 to 45 days, which is why most financed sales close 30 to 60 days after acceptance, while cash sales can close in as little as two weeks. The process ends with a final walkthrough and a closing appointment where documents are signed and funds are wired to the seller.
The Timeline: Earnest Money, Inspection, and Underwriting
After both sides sign, the buyer deposits earnest money into an escrow account, typically 1% to 3% of the purchase price, within 24 to 48 hours or whatever window the contract sets. That deposit is credited toward the buyer's down payment at closing. Next comes the inspection period, usually 7 to 10 days, during which a licensed inspector spends two to three hours walking the property. Inspections generally run $300 to $500, and the buyer has until the end of that window to submit any objection notice and preserve the right to walk away or renegotiate. While inspection is underway, the title company starts its own work, pulling the chain of ownership, existing mortgages, judgments, tax liens, and HOA records, a process that typically takes one to two weeks and ends with a title commitment showing any exceptions that need to be cleared before closing. The lender, in parallel, orders an appraisal to confirm the home's value supports the loan amount, and begins full underwriting, pulling bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, and employment verification. Underwriting is usually the longest piece of the timeline, commonly 30 to 45 days, and the seller is required to have homeowners insurance in place that meets the lender's minimum coverage before the file can clear to close.
Final Walkthrough and Closing Day
Once financing clears, the buyer does a final walkthrough, usually the day before or the morning of closing, to confirm any agreed-upon repairs were completed and nothing changed since the inspection. Closing day itself is mostly paperwork: signing typically takes about an hour to 90 minutes, and once everything is executed, funds are sent to the seller by wire transfer, usually arriving within 1 to 3 business days. For a seller, that means the money doesn't actually land the same day the papers are signed, it's worth planning around that short wire delay rather than assuming same-day funds.
What This Timeline Means If You're Selling in Florida
Here's the part sellers often miss: accepting an offer isn't the finish line, it's the start of a 30 to 60 day underwriting stretch where the deal can still fall apart if the buyer's financing doesn't clear. That's really the choice every Florida seller is making when they pick how to sell. A cash investor will move fast but typically prices in a discount that skims equity out of the sale. A traditional listing can take 6 to 9 months once you count time on market plus this same closing timeline, with real risk the deal falls through somewhere in that stretch. CFD works a third way: as a licensed flat-fee brokerage, CFD connects the seller directly to a real buyer using FHA, conventional, VA, or DSCR financing through a single-contract novation, so there's one transaction, not a resale. CFD is paid as a line-item fee in that deal, doesn't take title, and isn't the one buying the house, which means the seller can see exactly where every dollar in the transaction goes while still moving at a pace closer to an investor sale than a 6 to 9 month listing.
Common questions
How long does earnest money take after an offer is accepted?
Buyers typically have 24 to 72 hours, or whatever deadline is written into the contract, commonly 1 to 3 business days, to deposit earnest money into escrow. That deposit is usually 1% to 3% of the purchase price and is credited toward the buyer's down payment at closing.
How long does closing take after an offer is accepted?
Financed purchases typically close 30 to 60 days after acceptance because the lender needs 30 to 45 days to complete underwriting. Cash purchases can close in as little as two weeks since there's no loan approval to wait on.
Keep reading
What this means for your options
Understanding the sale process before you commit to a timeline protects your leverage. Our novation structure keeps the process short and the terms clear from the first conversation.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
No repairs, no showings, no financing contingency on your side — our novation structure connects you with a bank-financed buyer at a price locked at signing. Usually within one business day.
See your selling options before you decide anything.