Your Virginia
buyer timeline

A sample path from ratification to a 30-day closing, with your Leverage Realty team guiding the next step.

Our starting assumptions: Closing is targeted for Day 30. The home inspection and moisture/termite inspection are both completed within 10 days of ratification. Plans are tailored to the home, client, contract, and lender. Date ranges are planning targets, not guaranteed completion dates.

1. Before ratification

   Get ready to buy.

   Get pre-approved, discuss loan options and estimated cash needed, and organize income and asset documents. For a VA loan, ask your lender about your Certificate of Eligibility. Agree on your search priorities and review offer terms with your Leverage Realty agent.

   Lending milestone: pre-approval. Final approval still depends on underwriting and the property.

2. Day 0 · Ratification

   Your 30-day countdown begins.

   Confirm the ratified contract, target settlement date, deposit requirements, financing and appraisal contingencies, and all inspection and notice deadlines. Send the contract to your lender and settlement agent.

   Day 0 is the date of ratification. Follow the contract’s rules for counting days, notices, and delivery.

3. Days 1–3

   Start the loan and schedule inspections.

   Submit or update your mortgage application and provide requested pay stubs, tax documents, bank statements, and identification. Review your Loan Estimate and tell the chosen lender you intend to proceed. Discuss the rate lock and its expiration. Deliver the earnest money deposit by the contract deadline. Book the home inspection and moisture/termite inspection immediately.

   Lending milestone: application and initial disclosures. For most purchase mortgages, the lender must send the Loan Estimate within three business days after receiving the six required application details.

4. Days 1–10

   Complete both inspections.

   Complete the home inspection and the moisture and termite inspection within 10 days of ratification under this sample schedule. Review the written reports with your agent, discuss any specialist evaluations, and submit any repair requests or notices by the contract’s applicable deadline. Schedule early enough to allow time for reports and decisions.

   Inspection completion and the deadlines for notices, negotiations, or termination are separate. The signed contract controls each; a 10-day inspection period is an assumption for this timeline, not a statewide rule.

5. Days 5–15

   Appraisal, processing, and title work.

   The lender orders any required appraisal and verifies your income, assets, credit, and employment. The settlement agent begins title work. Shop for homeowners insurance and discuss flood coverage if appropriate. Work with your agent on agreed inspection items and any appraisal issues.

   Lending milestone: appraisal and processing. An appraisal evaluates the property for the loan; it does not replace the home inspection. Order and review timing varies by lender and loan program.

6. Days 10–22

   Move through underwriting.

   Respond promptly to requests for updated documents or explanations. Review any conditional loan approval and resolve outstanding conditions. Confirm insurance and track title, appraisal, and any required repair documentation. Discuss changes to employment, credit, or funds with your lender before making them.

   Lending milestone: conditional approval and conditions review. Meet the contract’s financing deadlines even if the sample underwriting window differs.

7. Days 20–27

   Prepare for final approval and disclosures.

   Work toward final loan approval, often called clear to close. Review the Closing Disclosure against your Loan Estimate and confirm cash to close, loan terms, and closing arrangements. Ask questions immediately if anything differs.

   For most purchase mortgages, you must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before loan consummation. Have your lender confirm the receipt deadline for your closing date, accounting for holidays and delivery method; this is not simply three calendar days.

8. Days 27–29

   Finish the final details.

   Confirm any agreed repairs and arrange a final walkthrough before settlement. Set up utilities, verify identification requirements, and confirm your funds with the settlement agent. Verify wire instructions by calling a trusted, independently confirmed phone number before sending money.

   Some loan changes can trigger a new Closing Disclosure waiting period. Confirm final approval and any remaining conditions with your lender before moving funds or making firm moving arrangements.

9. Day 30 · Settlement

   Close and prepare for possession.

   Complete the final walkthrough at the agreed time, sign the settlement and loan documents, and provide the required closing funds. Your settlement agent coordinates funding and recording. Confirm when keys and possession will be released under your contract.

   Lending milestone: loan closing and funding. Signing, recording, and key release may not occur at the same moment. Your contract and settlement agent determine the sequence.