Property Checklist

Buyer cash to close document checklist

Documents and line items buyers should collect before trusting cash to close, lender disclosures, title estimates, escrow setup, and HOA charges.

Best for: Buyers comparing down payment, lender costs, title charges, prepaids, escrow setup, taxes, insurance, credits, and association costs.

Use when: Use this before wiring funds, after a loan estimate changes, or when cash to close jumps near closing.

Always verify wiring instructions directly through trusted channels. Do not rely on emailed wire changes without independent confirmation.

Plain English

What papers should I collect before this decision?

Use this to keep the quote, cost, document, and question list in one place before you sign or pay.

Start here: Check the boxes you already have, then use the missing boxes as your question list.

Quote: The price and work list someone gave you.
Scope: What is included and what is not included.
Proof: Photos, receipts, readings, reports, and notes.
Deductible: The money you may pay before insurance helps.
Cleanup: Stop, dry, remove, clean, or make safe.
Rebuild: Put the home back together: walls, floors, cabinets, paint, and fixtures.

Lender and title documents

Cash to close changes when lender fees, title fees, credits, escrow, and prepaids are mixed together.

Loan estimate and closing disclosure

Core

Compare versions and ask which exact line changed from the prior estimate.

Title or escrow estimate

Core

Collect settlement, lender policy, owner policy, recording, wire, courier, endorsement, document, and escrow lines.

Seller credit and lender credit terms

Confirm credits appear in the right section and are not lost because of limits or contract wording.

Prepaids, escrow, and taxes

Not every increase is a fee. Some increases are prepaid interest, insurance, tax escrow, or timing.

Homeowners insurance invoice

Confirm premium, paid status, escrow treatment, and effective date.

Property tax proration

Check latest tax bill, proration date, local custom, exemptions, and whether taxes are prepaid or escrowed.

Escrow setup

Separate reserve deposits from actual closing fees.

Prepaid interest

Closing date can change the number of prepaid interest days.

Post-closing reserve

A purchase can close and still be fragile if repairs, move-in costs, and cash buffer disappear.

Inspection and appraisal cash

Track what was already paid and what is still due outside the closing table.

HOA or condo fees

Collect transfer, move-in, capital contribution, working capital, prepaid dues, and document fees.

Repair and moving reserve

Do not let the closing number consume the cash needed for immediate repairs, moving, locks, utilities, and appliances.

If a cash-to-close jump drains the reserve, reassess the purchase before wiring.

Before you act

  • Rebuild cash to close from line items instead of relying on a percentage.
  • Compare old and new estimates line by line.
  • Verify wire instructions, lender disclosures, title statements, and association amounts before closing.

Decision packet prompt

Build a packet with loan estimate, closing disclosure, title estimate, seller credits, escrow setup, prepaids, association charges, cash reserve, and changed lines.

Open the decision packet

Use this before requesting or accepting an estimate

A checklist is useful before monetization: collect the evidence first, then use it to run the calculator, compare the bid, build the packet, or request a cleaner estimate. Do not send private claim documents through Kefiw unless a page explicitly explains how that information is handled.

Checklist FAQ

Should I wait to use this checklist until the claim is open?

No. The checklist is useful before cleanup, before signing, before filing, before an adjuster visit, and before sale or rental documentation conversations.

Does this checklist decide coverage or contract terms?

No. It helps organize proof and questions. Verify policy, contract, safety, legal, and local-rule issues with qualified sources.

What should I do after completing it?

Run the related calculator, build the Property Decision Packet, compare the bid, or request an estimate only after the key proof and missing questions are visible.