The moment a seller accepts your offer feels like the finish line. It is really the starting line. In Florida, the stretch from accepted offer to keys usually runs about 30 to 45 days for a financed purchase, and a surprising amount happens in that window. Nationally, a meaningful share of contracts never make it to closing at all, and almost every one that falls apart does so somewhere in these next few weeks.
I walk every client through this process so nothing catches them off guard, because the buyers who understand what is coming stay calm and keep the deal moving. Here is the Miami closing process, step by step, with the Florida-specific details that trip people up.
Step 1: Contract and deposits
Once both sides sign, your good-faith deposit, called the escrow or earnest money deposit, goes to a neutral third party, usually a title company or a real estate attorney. In Florida, that deposit is held in trust and released according to the exact terms of the contract, not on anyone's whim. Your inspection period clock starts ticking the moment the contract is effective, so this is no time to relax. Move quickly, because those days are your protection.
Step 2: Inspection, your safety net
You hire a licensed inspector to examine the home from the roof to the foundation: structure, plumbing, electrical, the air conditioning, windows, and doors. A good inspector will tell you which findings are cosmetic and which are serious. Watch especially for the expensive hidden problems, a musty smell that hints at moisture and mold, fresh paint in one isolated spot that may be hiding a stain, uneven or bouncy floors, and any sign of water intrusion. These are the issues that quietly cost tens of thousands after closing.
For condos, I go a step further and review the building's health, not just the unit. I look at the reserves, any special assessments already on the books or being discussed, and where the property stands on the 40-year recertification, which arrives at 25 years for buildings within three miles of the coast. After the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida requires stronger condo reserves, so I want to see a building funding at least 10% of its annual budget and backing it up with a real reserve study. A beautiful unit inside a financially weak association is a trap, and this is the window to find that out.
If the inspection turns up problems, this is your leverage. You can negotiate repairs, ask for a credit toward closing costs, adjust the price, or walk away entirely while your deposit is still protected. Get contractor estimates on anything major so your negotiation is grounded in real numbers, not guesses.
### Specialized inspections worth the extra cost
For some homes, the standard inspection is not enough, and the extra few hundred dollars can save you thousands. If the property is older or the drains seem slow, a sewer scope can catch expensive plumbing problems hiding underground. If you see any sign of termites, small holes in wood, sawdust piles, or hollow-sounding beams, a dedicated pest inspection is cheap insurance against damage that homeowner's policies rarely cover. On older buildings, a focused look at the roof, the foundation, and the structural systems can flag the big-ticket repairs before they become yours. I would rather a client spend a little more here than discover a five-figure surprise after the deed records.
Step 3: Appraisal
If you are financing, your lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home is worth what you agreed to pay. The lender is protecting itself, making sure it is not handing you more money than the property is worth. With the Miami-Dade median around $600,000 in 2026, most appraisals come in on target. But if one lands low, you have clear options: ask the seller to lower the price to the appraised value, meet somewhere in the middle, bring extra cash to cover the gap, or use an appraisal contingency to exit the deal. Which path makes sense depends on how much you love the home and how much cash you can comfortably spare.
Step 4: Title search and title insurance
The title company runs a search to confirm the seller can legally sell the property and that there are no liens, unpaid taxes, code violations, or ownership disputes hanging over it. You will purchase title insurance to protect yourself against surprises that surface later, like an old claim or a boundary problem nobody caught. In Florida this is standard practice. I always recommend an owner's title policy alongside the lender's policy, because the lender's coverage protects the bank, while the owner's policy is the only thing protecting your equity. Clearing a title issue is one of the more common reasons a closing slips a few days, so the sooner the search starts, the better.
Step 5: Insurance and the Florida wrinkle
Before closing, you must secure homeowner's insurance, and in Florida this step deserves serious attention rather than a last-minute scramble. Insurance costs have risen sharply here, and coverage in coastal areas can take real time to bind, sometimes longer than out-of-state buyers expect. Start shopping the day you go under contract. Get actual written quotes, not rough estimates, because the number can meaningfully change your monthly payment. For condos, confirm exactly what the building's master policy covers versus what you need to insure personally, so you are neither overpaying nor dangerously underinsured. Make sure your policy is set to take effect the day you close.
Step 6: Loan approval and clear to close
Your lender finishes underwriting and, when everything checks out, issues the "clear to close." This is the green light. It is also the moment buyers sabotage themselves without realizing it. Do not make any big financial moves during this period. No new credit cards, no financing a car or furniture, no large unexplained deposits into your accounts, and do not change jobs if you can avoid it. Any of those can reopen underwriting, trigger a fresh round of questions, and delay your closing. The underwriter will review everything one more time, and they are meticulous. Answer their requests quickly and completely, and the file keeps moving.
Step 7: Final walkthrough
Usually a day or two before closing, we walk the property together to confirm it is in the same condition it was when you agreed to buy it. We check that any agreed-upon repairs were actually completed and done correctly, that all the appliances and systems still work, and that the seller removed their belongings and left behind anything they promised to include. This is your last easy chance to flag a problem. If something is wrong, speak up now, before you sign. Do not assume a lingering issue will get fixed after closing, because your leverage disappears the moment the deed records.
Step 8: Closing day
On closing day you review and sign the closing documents and the settlement statement, which itemizes every cost line by line. Compare it against the loan estimate you received earlier and question anything that does not match. Plan for closing costs of roughly 2 to 5% of the price, which on a typical Miami home means thousands of dollars, so know your final number in advance. You bring your remaining funds by wire, using verified instructions, because wire fraud is real and I always confirm details by phone. The title company records the deed, and once it records, the home is legally yours. One Florida convenience worth knowing: buyer and seller often do not sit at the same table, and remote or mail-away closings are common, which is a real gift for relocating buyers.
A realistic timeline
Cash deals can close in as little as two weeks. Financed purchases typically run 30 to 45 days. The steps that most often add time are title clearing, insurance binding, and last-minute lender requests, so watch those three closely. Stay responsive, return documents the same day when you can, and you keep the whole process on schedule.
After you get the keys
Your work is not quite done. In your first week, rekey or change the locks, since you have no idea who holds copies of the old ones. Get the utilities switched into your name, and start a small monthly maintenance fund right away. The homeowners who plan for the surprises sleep better than the ones who assume there will not be any.
If you want a guide who will keep every one of these steps on track and catch the problems before they become expensive, reach out through debilom.com or DM me @debilomrealtor. I will make sure your path to the keys is smooth, and I will tell you the truth at every stage along the way.
