The closing timeline, signed from home

Week 0: the contract and the deposit

Once the seller accepts your offer, you sign the contract electronically from wherever you are. The first deposit is wired to an escrow account held by the title company or an attorney, not to the seller. Your real estate attorney, if you've engaged one, reviews the contract before you sign.

Weeks 1 to 2: inspections

Florida contracts usually give the buyer a short inspection period. A licensed inspector checks the home; for a house, add a wind-mitigation and four-point inspection, which also help with insurance pricing. For a condominium, this is when you read the building documents described in our building guide.

Weeks 1 to 4: title, insurance and the association

• Title. The title company searches the property's history for liens and defects and issues title insurance, which protects you if a past problem surfaces later.
• Insurance. Your lender, and good sense, require cover in place before closing. Start quotes early, especially on the coast.
• Association approval. Many condominiums and some communities must approve the buyer, often with an application, an interview and a background check. Some take several weeks, so apply as soon as the contract is signed.

Weeks 2 to 6: financing

If you're borrowing, the lender appraises the property, reviews the building if it's a condominium, and issues final approval. Foreign-national loans need more documents than local ones, so having your bank statements, identification and proof of income ready from the start keeps the timeline on track.

The last week: signing from abroad

You can sign the closing documents without coming to Florida. Depending on the documents and your country, the usual routes are:

• Remote online notarization, which Florida permits, by video with a commissioned online notary;
• A local notary, with an apostille where your country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention;
• A U.S. embassy or consulate;
• A power of attorney to someone you trust in Florida, drafted by your attorney.

The title company will tell you which format it accepts. Settle that early, because international courier time is the most common cause of a late closing.

The wire, and closing day

The balance of the purchase price and closing costs is wired to the title company before closing. Always confirm the wire instructions by phone first; our guide to moving the money explains why. On closing day the title company records the deed with the county, releases the funds to the seller and hands over the keys, or arranges for them to be waiting for you.

And when you sell, years from now

A sale by a foreign owner has one extra step: a withholding at closing under FIRPTA, most of which can usually be recovered. Our seller's guide explains how to plan for it.

How we help

We set out the timeline for your purchase in your time zone, flag what needs to start on day one, and introduce the real estate attorney, title company, insurer and lender who carry each step. Tell us where you are in the process.