The day has finally come to sign the closing documents for your new home. But wait, you need to find a reliable notary amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time where digitization is key, remote online notaries are now available for your closing document needs.
For new homebuyers, the typical closing process stands out as the day you and your attorney meet with the attorneys of the home seller, pay your closing fees to secure your loan, and receive the keys to your new home.
But, before you can rush to the doorstep of your new residence, you’ll need to review and sign your closing documents. These specific documents need to be notarized, meaning a notary public witnesses you signing the agreements and authentically validates them. This requirement has typically been handled in-person, and up until now, remote closings were few and far between.
What Does Real Estate Closing Involve?
In short, real estate closing involves the finalization of all agreements made between you, the buyer, the seller, and your lender, to finalize the purchase of your new home. Signing these closing documents legally transfers ownership from the seller, and you become the new owner of the property!
Typically, the closing is attended by your real estate agent, the sellers, the closing attorney, and a notary. At the closing, you will be required to sign a number of documents and transfer funds before the home is transferred over to you.
Below are the top 4 benefits to signing your closing documents remotely:
- Steer Clear of COVID-19
- Jumpstart Your New Home Adventure
- Cut Back on Waste
- Avoid Human Error
Steer Clear of COVID-19
In the past, digital e-signatures and notarization have been possible, but less frequent of a process. This online process typically dealt with closing documents that surpassed state lines. However, in the last year due to COVID-19, the need for reliable, online notaries skyrocketed.
While the option to utilize an in-person notary is still available, if you prefer this option, going digital can help keep you and your family safe from the coronavirus. Many people are no longer interested in standing 6 feet apart and wearing a mask and gloves to sign their closing documents. Rather than risk your health, remote closings can offer you safety, efficiency and reliability.
Reminder: When having your closing documents digitally notarized, ensure that your agents follow coronavirus guidelines.
Jumpstart Your New Home Adventure
The notarization of your closing documents is the last step to take before you receive the keys to your new home. Generally speaking, the closing process can take about 30-45 days. However, with the option to utilize online notaries, the count down to being in your new home decreases.
You no longer need to operate around scheduling conflicts or worry about traffic delays as digital signing removes all those extra steps.
Jumpstart your new home adventure with Rochford Law & Real Estate Title!
Cut Back on Waste
As you approach the date for the closing of your home, you may have thought about how much paperwork you will be encountering. Closing documents can typically create a lot of paper waste as there are many pages for the buyer and seller to sign. Oftentimes, there will be multiple documents to instill consistency and retain an extra copy for backup purposes.
In going digital with your closing documents, the need for paper decreases- decreasing your paper waste. Without any paper documents to produce and distribute, you may even save your lenders a little money as well.
Avoid Human Error
When it comes to your closing documents, you’ll want to ensure there aren’t any missing components. With in-person signings, you may find yourself in a sticky situation that could postpone the date of your move-in. However, with digital signings and online notaries, inconsistencies, missing documents or missing signatures are immediately flagged. This can save you time and cut down on human error to make sure you get the keys to your new home just when you need them.
The role of a closing attorney is to help you navigate these legal documents successfully and complete the necessary research to satisfy the terms of the contract and make everything legal at the state and federal level.
At Rochford Law & Real Estate Title, we work diligently to ensure the handling of these documents are in accordance with state and federal law. Contact us today!
