What Happens After a House Offer Is Accepted

The Timeline: Earnest Money, Inspection, and Underwriting

Earnest money moves fast. Once both sides sign, the buyer deposits it into escrow within 24 to 48 hours, or whatever window the contract sets. Typically that's 1% to 3% of the purchase price, and it counts toward the buyer's down payment at closing.

Then comes inspection: 7 to 10 days. A licensed inspector spends two to three hours walking the property. Inspections generally run $300 to $500. The buyer has until the window closes to submit an objection notice and keep the right to walk away or renegotiate.

While inspection runs, the title company works in parallel: pulling the chain of ownership, existing mortgages, judgments, tax liens, and HOA records. That takes one to two weeks and ends with a title commitment listing any exceptions that need clearing before closing.

The lender moves at the same time. An appraisal confirms the home's value supports the loan. Full underwriting starts: bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, employment verification, all get pulled and checked. Underwriting is the longest stretch, commonly 30 to 45 days, and it's the real bottleneck. One more requirement before the file clears: the seller needs homeowners insurance in place that meets the lender's minimum coverage.

Final Walkthrough and Closing Day

Once financing clears, the buyer walks the property one more time, usually the day before or the morning of closing. They're checking that agreed-upon repairs got done and nothing changed since the inspection.

Closing day is mostly paperwork. Signing takes about an hour to 90 minutes. Once everything's executed, funds get wired to the seller, usually landing within 1 to 3 business days.

That gap matters for sellers: the money doesn't hit your account the same day you sign. Plan around the short wire delay. Don't assume same-day funds.

What This Timeline Means If You're Selling in Florida

Accepting an offer isn't the finish line. If you accept a financed offer, you can face a 30 to 60 day underwriting stretch, and the deal can still fall apart if the buyer's financing doesn't clear. A traditional listing can take 6 to 9 months once you add time on market to the closing timeline. Your choice depends on how much time you have and what you want to receive from your sale.

With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you.

For either offer, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. That can include structural problems involving foundation, moisture, wiring, or drain issues.

We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. With the Premium Cash Offer, only what your buyer's lender requires gets fixed; we arrange for those costs to be fronted and settled from the sale proceeds, from our share. With the Fast Cash Offer, we buy as-is, with no repairs for you to make.

If you choose Premium, you sign with us at the agreed number and give us permission to bring a buyer in our place. Your home may be listed on the MLS through Silver Door Realty, a licensed Florida brokerage. A licensed agent brings buyers for showings scheduled with you ahead of time. Your buyer signs a new contract directly with you, title transfers directly from you to that buyer, and their lender funds the purchase.

At closing, anything owed against your house is paid first from the sale proceeds, including your mortgage payoff, liens, taxes, fees, closing costs, commissions, and repairs. You then receive your agreed number, subject to the structural exception: if something structural that was not visible before signing surfaces, we re-cost it and you decide, and you can walk away. On Premium, those costs come from our share, not your number. Cash Flow Deals is paid last from what remains, as a separate line item on the closing statement.

If your Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number. You can compare the Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer with a traditional listing that may take 6 to 9 months, then choose the path that fits your needs. Start with your address to compare your offers in writing.

Cash Flow Deals' Offer Process:

1. Cash Flow Deals reviews your property and explains your Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer together, so you can compare the amounts, terms, and closing plans before choosing.

2. You choose your offer and review the written contract. With Fast Cash, we buy your house as-is and close. With Premium, Cash Flow Deals brings a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, who pays more and signs a purchase contract directly with you.

3. You help pick your closing date. Some cash sales can close in as little as two weeks, but your closing schedule depends on the offer and written terms you choose. When your sale funds, amounts owed are paid from the proceeds, you receive your agreed amount subject to the structural exception, and we are paid last. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens.