Your Indiana home closing checklist: the last mile deserves attention

Confirm the appointment, location, required identification, payment method, and who needs to attend or sign. Ask your closing professional about arrangements if an owner or borrower will be unavailable. Do not assume a remote signing or power of attorney can be arranged at the last moment.

Separate the signing date from the time you receive possession. Have your representative explain any post-closing occupancy agreement, key transfer, and responsibilities during a gap. Arrange movers and utility service using the agreed handover rather than a hoped-for date.

The CFPB explains that lenders must provide the Closing Disclosure three business days before scheduled closing for loans covered by that requirement. Ask your lender how the timing applies to your transaction and whether a change requires a new waiting period. Use the review window to resolve questions, not simply to acknowledge receipt.

Compare the borrower names, loan type and term, amount, rate, projected payments, closing costs, and cash to close. Check credits and deposits against your records and the contract. Distinguish the amount needed at closing from the down payment alone. If an amount changes, ask for the reason before signing.

Confirm what is included in escrow and what you will pay separately. Association dues, maintenance, and some insurance costs may sit outside the lender’s payment. Review your full ownership budget once more with current figures.

Establish the closing office’s payment process early. If a wire is required, confirm the instructions through a phone number you independently verified—not a number supplied in an unexpected email or text. Treat a last-minute change of destination or urgency as a reason to stop and check.

Ask the closing professional how to verify receipt. If you suspect money went to the wrong account, contact your bank immediately and notify the closing professionals. Do not send another payment just because a message says the first one failed.

Schedule the walkthrough with time to raise issues before closing. Check agreed repairs and supporting records, included items, and the property’s condition against the agreement. This is not a substitute for the earlier inspection or a guarantee that every hidden defect will be found.

If repairs are incomplete or the condition has changed, have your representative and, when appropriate, legal adviser explain your options. Do not assume you can automatically delay closing, cancel, or hold back money. Document the issue and the resolution in the form the transaction requires.

Retain the signed documents and ask where your first payment goes, when it is due, and how servicing changes will be communicated. Confirm the effective date of your insurance coverage. Keep the closing records available for later tax and ownership questions.

At possession, collect the agreed keys, remotes, codes, manuals, and any warranty information. Arrange access changes appropriate to the property. Ask the county about any deduction filing obligations that apply to your circumstances, and maintain your reserve for repairs even if the move itself stays on budget.