What Happens After You Accept an Offer on Your Home?

Nov 9, 2026 · By Oanh Nguyen · Broker & Loan Officer · Selling

You accepted an offer. Congratulations. That's a big step.

But it's not the finish line. Between acceptance and closing, there's a lot that happens. Deadlines, inspections, paperwork and sometimes more negotiation. Knowing what's coming makes the process less stressful.

In this post, I'll walk through the typical steps after you accept an offer on a California home: acceptance, the buyer's deposit, inspections, the appraisal, contingencies, disclosures and closing.

One important note before we start. Your contract controls your transaction. Every deal has its own terms, dates and conditions. What I describe here is the common path. Your agent should give you a calendar with the exact deadlines in your contract, and a real estate attorney can answer legal questions.

Step 1: Acceptance

An offer becomes a binding contract when both sides have signed and the final acceptance has been delivered. This is sometimes called ratification.

If there were counteroffers back and forth, the last signed version, delivered to the other side, is what counts. The date of acceptance matters a lot, because most contract deadlines count from that date.

What I do right away:

• Confirm the acceptance date and time.
• Send the signed contract to escrow.
• Build a calendar of every deadline.
• Share it with you, the buyer's agent and escrow.

Step 2: Opening Escrow and the Deposit

Escrow is a neutral third party. It holds the money and documents until every condition of the contract is met.

The buyer usually delivers a good-faith deposit to escrow within a set number of days after acceptance. The amount and timing are in the contract.

Escrow also starts:

• Ordering a preliminary title report. This shows who owns the property and lists any liens, loans or other recorded items.
• Requesting your loan payoff from your lender.
• Sending you forms to fill out and sign.

What you can do: Sign and return escrow forms quickly. Tell escrow about every loan or lien on the property, including a HELOC or solar financing.

Step 3: Seller Disclosures

California sellers must give buyers certain disclosures. Common ones include:

• Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS). Your description of the home's condition and known issues.
• Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD). Whether the home is in certain mapped hazard zones, such as flood or fire zones.
• Seller Property Questionnaire and other forms used in many transactions.
• HOA documents, if the home is in an HOA.
• Other disclosures depending on the home, its age and its location.

The contract sets a deadline for delivering disclosures. The buyer reviews them and may have questions.

What you can do: Start disclosures before you list. Be complete and honest. If you know about an issue, disclose it. If you're unsure, ask me, and talk with a real estate attorney for legal advice.

Step 4: Buyer Inspections

During the buyer's investigation period, the buyer can inspect the home. Common inspections include:

• General home inspection.
• Pest (wood-destroying organism) inspection.
• Roof inspection.
• Sewer lateral or plumbing inspection.
• Chimney, foundation, HVAC or pool inspections if needed.

What you can do: Give inspectors easy access. Leave utilities on. Clear access to the attic, crawl space, electrical panel, water heater and garage.

After inspections, the buyer may:

• Move forward with no requests.
• Ask for repairs.
• Ask for a credit or price reduction.
• Cancel, if the contract allows it.

You can agree, say no or counter. My job is to help you weigh each request against the market, your timeline and your net proceeds.

Step 5: The Appraisal

If the buyer is getting a loan, their lender will order an appraisal. A licensed appraiser estimates the home's value, using recent comparable sales.

What you can do: Have the home clean and accessible. I can give the appraiser a list of recent upgrades and comparable sales to consider. The appraiser makes their own decision.

If the appraisal comes in at or above the price, the deal moves forward.

If it comes in below the price, options usually include:

• The buyer pays the difference in cash.
• The seller lowers the price.
• The two sides meet in the middle.
• The buyer cancels, if they have an appraisal contingency and the deadline hasn't passed.

What happens depends on the contract and the negotiation.

Step 6: Loan Approval

The buyer's lender reviews the buyer's income, assets, credit and the property. This can take time.

You don't control the buyer's loan, but you can help it stay on track by responding quickly to any requests that involve the property, like HOA documents or repair records.

I stay in touch with the buyer's agent about loan progress. If there's a delay, we want to know early.

Step 7: Contingency Removals

Contingencies are conditions in the contract that let the buyer cancel if something isn't satisfied. The common ones are:

• Investigation contingency, for inspections and property review.
• Appraisal contingency, if the home doesn't appraise at the price.
• Loan contingency, if the buyer can't get the loan.
• Review of disclosures, title and HOA documents.

Each contingency has a deadline. The C.A.R. purchase agreement sets default time periods that apply unless the buyer and seller agree to different ones.

In California transactions using C.A.R. forms, the buyer typically removes contingencies in writing. Once a contingency is removed, the buyer generally can't cancel for that reason anymore, and their deposit may be more at risk if they back out.

Contingency removal is a big milestone. It's the point when a deal becomes much more secure for the seller.

If a buyer misses a deadline, there are specific steps in the contract for what happens next. I'll guide you through them. Don't assume a missed deadline cancels the deal on its own.

Step 8: Final Walk-Through

Shortly before closing, the buyer does a final walk-through. They check that:

• The home is in the condition agreed to in the contract.
• Agreed repairs are done.
• Items that should stay with the home are still there.
• Items that should go are gone.

What you can do: Finish all agreed repairs and leave receipts. Move out on time. Leave the home clean. Leave keys, garage remotes, codes, manuals and warranties.

Step 9: Signing, Funding and Closing

Near the end of escrow:

• You sign your closing documents, usually with a notary.
• The buyer signs their loan documents and deposits their remaining funds.
• The lender funds the loan.
• The deed is recorded with the county recorder.

When the deed records, the sale is closed. Escrow then pays off your loans, pays fees and sends you your proceeds.

What you can do: Review your estimated settlement statement before signing. Ask questions about any line you don't understand. Confirm how you'll receive your proceeds, and always verify wire instructions by calling escrow at a known phone number. Wire fraud is a real risk in real estate.

What Can Go Wrong in Escrow

Most escrows close. But it helps to know the common bumps so they don't catch you off guard.

• Repair requests you didn't expect. Inspections often find something. Decide your priorities ahead of time, so you can respond calmly.
• A low appraisal. In a fast-moving market, a buyer may pay more than recent sales support. Be ready to talk through options.
• Loan problems. A buyer's job change, new debt or missing paperwork can slow or stop a loan.
• Title surprises. An old lien, a missing signature from a past owner or a name mismatch can take time to fix.
• HOA delays. Some associations take a while to deliver documents.
• Missed deadlines. Either side can miss a date. The contract sets out what happens next.
• Buyer cold feet. Sometimes buyers cancel within a contingency period for personal reasons.

What protects you most:

• A strong offer to begin with. Financing and terms matter as much as price.
• Early disclosures and reports. Fewer surprises for the buyer means fewer reasons to renegotiate.
• Quick responses. Delays on your side can give a buyer more time to reconsider.
• A backup offer, when the market allows.
• A clear calendar. Every deadline tracked, with reminders.

When something does go wrong, the worst move is to panic. Most issues have a path forward. My job is to find it with you.

For a broader view of timing, see my post on how long it takes to sell a home in the Bay Area.

A Typical Flow at a Glance

Exact timing depends on your contract.

A Hypothetical Example

This example is made up to show the process. It is not based on any real home or client.

A seller accepts an offer with a loan, an investigation contingency and an appraisal contingency. Escrow opens the next day, and the buyer's deposit arrives on time.

The seller's disclosures were prepared before listing, so they go out right away. The buyer's inspection finds a small roof repair. The buyer asks for a credit. The seller agrees to a smaller credit after we compare it with a repair bid.

The appraisal comes in at the contract price. The buyer removes contingencies on time. The final walk-through goes smoothly, and the sale closes on the planned date.

Not every deal is this smooth. But preparation and quick responses make a difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Accepting an offer starts the escrow process. From there, the buyer deposits funds, reviews disclosures, inspects, gets an appraisal and loan approval and removes contingencies before closing. Each step has a deadline set by your contract.

You can help keep things on track by preparing disclosures early, responding quickly and keeping the home ready. A clear calendar and a steady guide make the weeks after acceptance much easier.

Have questions about your transaction timeline? Ask me. I'll walk you through each step and deadline in your contract.

Sources

• California Civil Code §1102 and following (Transfer Disclosure Statement): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1102
• California Civil Code §1103 and following (Natural Hazard Disclosure): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1103
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "Buying a home? Beware of mortgage closing scams": https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_mortgages-scams_one-pager.pdf

Ask questions about your transaction timeline. Call or text me at 408-780-1188, or email onrealtygroup@gmail.com.

Oanh Nguyen · Broker & Loan Officer · On Realty Group, brokered by LPT Realty · BRE #02133991 · NMLS 2020335

Equal Housing Opportunity.

Disclaimer: This post is general information only, not an appraisal or legal, tax or financial advice; data comes from the public sources linked above, is believed reliable but not guaranteed, and can change at any time.