Closing Guides
First-Time Florida Buyer: From Contract to Keys
Direct answer
A first-time buyer in Florida follows the same closing path as any other buyer. Send the signed contract to the title company the day it is executed so the title search can start and earnest money can be deposited the way the contract says. A purchase with a mortgage usually takes 30 to 45 days. A cash purchase can take 7 to 21 days when title is clear. On a loan, you receive a Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you sign. On a cash file, you review a settlement statement. You sign in front of two witnesses, you wire funds only after you call to confirm the instructions, and you receive keys when the contract allows, after the sale is funded. Time to Close Title closes the purchase from Spring Hill and records the deed in the county where the land sits. We do not make the loan, and we do not file your homestead exemption.
Key takeaways
- The date in the contract is a target. Title, the loan, and municipal items still have to clear.
- Send the executed contract the same day. The search and the earnest-money deposit start there.
- A financed file usually takes 30 to 45 days and needs a Closing Disclosure three business days before signing. Cash can be 7 to 21 days.
- Who pays for title insurance is in the contract. Florida law does not assign it.
- Keys follow funding. The signing is not the same moment as possession.
What should a first-time buyer send the day the contract is signed?
The signed contract, the names of both agents, and where the earnest money is going. Time to Close Title holds that deposit when the contract names us. We do not release it because one side sent an email. Read how earnest money is held. The title search starts from that contract. A listing photo is not a legal description.
Who pays for title insurance is not a Florida statute. The contract controls. A common custom is that the seller pays the owner's policy and the buyer pays the lender's policy. Confirm the split in writing before you lock the date. Read who pays for title insurance.
| Item | Why it matters | What does not replace it |
|---|---|---|
| Executed contract | Opens the search and the deposit | A verbal note that you are under contract |
| Earnest-money instructions | We deposit the amount the contract states | A transfer screenshot with no contract |
| Lender contact, if any | The Closing Disclosure and loan conditions come from the lender | A pre-approval letter alone |
| HOA or condo manager | The estoppel clock starts when the association receives the request | The listing's amenity sheet |
| How you will take title | The deed is prepared from the names you confirm | A guess on signing day |
What happens between the contract and the signing?
The contract sets the inspection deadline. We do not inspect the house. During those weeks the title examination runs, the lender orders the appraisal if there is a loan, and we issue a title commitment. Payoffs, the HOA or condo estoppel, and the municipal lien search go out on files we close. Those letters, not the walkthrough, are what usually move the date. Read why Florida closings get delayed and how long a closing takes.
A financed purchase plans on 30 to 45 days. Cash, when title is clear, can be 7 to 21 days. New construction and vacant land are different files. The three-business-day Closing Disclosure applies to the loan. It does not apply to a true cash purchase. Read cash versus financed.
30 to 45 days
Typical financed purchase from an executed contract to signing.
7 to 21 days
Cash, when title is clear and both sides are ready.
3 business days
How early you must receive the Closing Disclosure on a loan.
What happens from the signing table to the keys?
Bring a current government photo ID that matches the contract and the loan documents. Read what to bring. A Florida deed needs your signature in front of two witnesses and a proper acknowledgment. If you are married and the house will be your homestead, your spouse generally joins even when the spouse is not on the loan. Read why both spouses sign. A lender can still require both signatures on a loan.
Wire only after you call (352) 792-1214. Do not use instructions that arrived by email. Read wire fraud at a Florida closing. We disburse after good funds are in. If you sign before the money arrives, that can be a dry closing, and keys do not go out on a dry file. Possession follows the contract, after funding. On a purchase we close, we submit the deed for recording in the county where the land sits. You can sign at 3087 Anderson Snow Road in Spring Hill. Signing here does not move the recording.
Send the executed contract the same day
Include the earnest-money instructions, the lender if there is one, and the association contact.
Clear title, the estoppel, and the loan items
The commitment, the municipal search, and the lender's conditions have to finish before the appointment is real.
Review the numbers before you sit down
A Closing Disclosure on a loan, at least three business days ahead. A settlement statement on a cash file.
Confirm the wire by a call you place
Use (352) 792-1214. Do not reply to new wiring instructions in an email.
Sign, fund, and take keys when the contract allows
We record the deed after good funds, in the county where the land sits. Possession follows the contract.
What is not finished when you get the keys?
The owner's title policy, if the contract provides one, insures title. It does not insure the inspection, the appraisal, or that you can claim homestead. Read what title insurance does not cover. If you will make the house your permanent residence, the homestead application is due by March 1 with the property appraiser under § 196.011. We do not file it, and we do not decide the exemption. A house you will not live in is a different file. See buying a second home and investment property versus homestead.
Wind and flood insurance are not the title policy. The lender, if you have one, requires the hazard policy before funding. We do not bind it. Documentary stamp tax follows the consideration on the deed. The contract says who brings that money. We do not invent a first-time-buyer discount.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a first home purchase take in Florida?
A purchase with a mortgage usually takes 30 to 45 days from the executed contract. Cash can take 7 to 21 days when title is clear. The date in the contract is the target until title, the loan, and municipal items are cleared.
Do I get the keys at the signing table?
Only after the sale is funded and the contract allows possession. Signing before the money arrives does not release the keys. Same-day keys are common when funding is confirmed.
Who pays for title insurance on a first home?
The purchase contract. Florida law does not assign the premium to the buyer or the seller. A common custom is that the seller pays the owner's policy and the buyer pays the lender's policy. Confirm the split in writing.
Is a cash closing shorter because I am a first-time buyer?
Cash is shorter because there is no loan and no three-day Closing Disclosure. It is not shorter because it is your first house. The title search, payoffs, and the recorded deed still happen.
Does closing day give me the homestead exemption?
No. If the house will be your permanent residence, you apply with the property appraiser. The application is due by March 1 under § 196.011. We close the purchase. We do not file the exemption.
What should I bring to the signing?
A current government photo ID that matches the contract and the loan documents, and funds you confirmed by calling (352) 792-1214. Review the Closing Disclosure or the cash statement the day before.
Where do I send the contract?
To Time to Close Title at (352) 792-1214 or contact us. The office is at 3087 Anderson Snow Road, Spring Hill, FL 34609. Send it the day it is signed, and say the county.