The home closing process in Utah, step by step

Closing is the stretch between "under contract" and "you own it." Most of the work is invisible to buyers and sellers, which is exactly why it feels mysterious. This is the whole sequence, with who is responsible for each step.

Step 1: The contract is accepted and escrow opens (day 0 to 1)

Once both parties sign the Utah Real Estate Purchase Contract, the buyer's agent or the listing agent sends it to the title company named in the contract. The title company opens an escrow file, assigns an escrow officer, confirms the parties and deadlines, and sends receipt confirmation. At OnRecord that confirmation usually goes out within one business hour.

Step 2: Earnest money is deposited (within 4 calendar days)

The buyer delivers the earnest money to the brokerage or the title company within four calendar days of acceptance under the standard REPC. The safest way is an online transfer through Earnnest or a cashier's check to the title office. The deposit is held in escrow and credited to the buyer at closing.

Step 3: Title search and commitment (days 1 to 3)

The title company's examiners search the county record for the property: ownership history, mortgages and liens, easements, CC&Rs, judgments, taxes, and anything else recorded against it. The result is the title commitment, which at OnRecord typically issues within 2 business days. Schedule B lists the requirements to clear before closing (payoffs, releases, estate documents) and the exceptions the policy will carry. Buyers have a deadline in the contract to review it and object.

Step 4: Inspections, appraisal, and loan underwriting (weeks 1 to 4)

While title work runs, the buyer completes inspections and negotiates any repairs, the lender orders the appraisal, and underwriting reviews the buyer's file. The escrow officer sends the lender the title commitment, the closing protection letter, and wiring instructions for funding, and collects payoff statements from the seller's lenders, HOA demand letters, and any curative documents the commitment requires.

Step 5: Clear to close and the Closing Disclosure (about 1 week before signing)

When underwriting is satisfied, the lender issues a clear to close. Federal rules require the buyer to receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before signing. The escrow officer balances the settlement statement with the lender so both documents match to the penny, and prorates property taxes, HOA dues, and prepaid interest to the closing date.

Step 6: Signing (1 to 3 days before recording)

The buyer signs the loan package and closing documents; the seller signs the deed and settlement statement. In Utah the two sides often sign separately, and either can sign at the title office, at a mobile closing anywhere in the state, or online. Bring a government photo ID. The buyer's cash to close is wired ahead of time to instructions verified by phone, never trusted from an email.

Step 7: Funding (signing day or the next business day)

After signing, the lender reviews the signed package and wires the loan proceeds to the title company. Combined with the buyer's funds and the earnest money, escrow now holds everything needed to close.

Step 8: Recording (same day as funding, usually)

The escrow officer e-records the deed and the buyer's trust deed with the county recorder. Recording is the legal moment ownership transfers. The Salt Lake County Recorder and most Utah counties accept electronic recording, so this often happens within an hour of funding.

Step 9: Disbursement and keys

With the deed recorded, the escrow officer pays off the seller's loans, pays the commissions and other charges, and wires the seller's net proceeds. The buyer's agent hands over the keys. Within a few weeks the buyer receives the recorded deed and the owner's title policy.

Closing-day checklist

Buyers: photo ID, wire sent to verified instructions, homeowners insurance bound, utilities scheduled, final walkthrough done.

Sellers: photo ID, forwarding address for the proceeds wire and final tax documents, keys and garage openers ready, home in the condition the contract requires.

What can delay a Utah closing, and how to avoid it

• Late payoff statements or HOA letters. OnRecord orders them the day the file opens.
• Title requirements nobody addressed. Read Schedule B when the commitment arrives, not the week of closing.
• Lender conditions. Respond to underwriting requests the same day.
• Wire delays. Send the buyer's funds a day early and call to verify.
• Signing logistics. If a signer is out of town or in the hospital, schedule a mobile or online signing early.

Choosing the team that runs it

The escrow officer runs everything above. When you pick a title company in the contract, you are picking that person. OnRecord's escrow officers answer their own phones, issue commitments typically within 2 business days, and close wherever your signer is. Send us the contract or call 385-464-2060.