# Contract to close

> The deadlines after you accept an offer: inspection, repair requests, appraisal, title, estoppel, proration, moving out and capital gains.

Source: https://moorerealtyapopka.com/academy/sellers-playbook/contract-to-close/ · Last updated 2026-11-12 · Robert Moore, Broker/Owner, Moore Realty Group, Inc. · 352-504-6371

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Lesson 06 of 06 · 7 min

# Contract to close

The deadlines after you accept an offer: inspection, repair requests, appraisal, title, estoppel, proration, moving out and capital gains.

The point

Once you accept, the contract runs on deadlines counted in calendar days from the effective date. Three of them can end the sale: the inspection period, loan approval and title. Know the dates and have your documents ready before each one.

## The calendar

Example deadlines for a contract effective Tuesday, January 5, 2027, using As Is contract defaults and a 45-day closing

| Milestone | Day | Date |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inspection period ends | 15 | Wednesday, January 20 |
| Loan approval deadline | 30 | Thursday, February 4 |
| Closing | 45 | Friday, February 19 |

Your contract may use different numbers. The dates in it are the ones that count.

## Repair requests under As Is

You are not obligated to repair anything. The buyer may still ask for repairs, a credit or a lower price before the inspection period ends, because until then they can cancel for any reason and take their deposit back. You can agree, decline or counter. A credit at closing is usually simpler than a repair, but it counts toward the lender's limit on seller contributions.

## Appraisal and title

If the appraisal comes in under the price, the lender lends on the lower figure. You can reduce the price, the buyer can bring more cash, or you can split the gap.

On title, the closing agent orders three things early:

- Your mortgage payoff letter.
- The municipal lien search, which looks for code liens, open permits and unpaid utility balances and can take two to four weeks.
- The HOA estoppel letter: $299 at most, plus up to $119 if it is needed within three business days.

If the title search finds a defect, the As Is contract gives you 30 days to cure it.

## Closing day and moving out

You credit the buyer for property tax from January 1 through the day before closing. Closing on February 19 is 49 days. On a $4,500 bill, 49 divided by 365 is $604.11.

The buyer will walk through the home shortly before closing. Leave it empty and clean, with every key, remote and manual. Keep your insurance and utilities on until the closing agent confirms the sale has funded.

## Worked example: capital gains

If you owned the home and used it as your main home for two of the five years before the sale, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain from federal tax, or $500,000 if married filing jointly. You can use the exclusion once every two years. Florida has no personal income tax.

Take the $430,000 sale from lesson 2:

- Selling costs, not counting the tax proration: $29,884.
- Adjusted basis, meaning what you paid plus improvements: say $255,000.
- Gain: $430,000 minus $29,884 minus $255,000 is $145,116.

That is under $250,000, so a seller who meets the tests owes no federal tax on it. Investment property gets no exclusion. If the seller is a foreign person, the buyer generally must withhold 15% of the price under FIRPTA. Confirm your own situation with a tax professional.

Do this now

On the day you accept an offer, tell Robert and the closing agent about anything that could slow the title work: an open permit, a lien, a second mortgage, an estate or a divorce.

## Before you go

- Enter your effective date in the [contract-to-close calendar](https://moorerealtyapopka.com/tools/contract-to-close-calendar/) and save the dates.
- Update your [seller net sheet](https://moorerealtyapopka.com/tools/seller-net-sheet/) with the real closing date.
- Read the full [guide to selling a home in Apopka](https://moorerealtyapopka.com/guides/selling-a-home-in-apopka/).
- Bring your questions to Robert through the [contact page](https://moorerealtyapopka.com/contact/).

Sources: [Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract](https://www.floridarealtors.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/AS%20IS%20Residential%20Contract%20for%20Sale%20and%20Purchase%20%28FloridaRealtors-FloridaBar-ASIS-7%29%20Redline%20%281%29.pdf), [Florida DBPR estoppel fee caps](https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/lsc/documents/ESTOPPEL_CERTIFICATE_FEES.pdf), [IRS Topic 701, sale of your home](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701), [IRS FIRPTA withholding](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/firpta-withholding). Checked November 2026.

  A contract is effective January 5 with a 15-day inspection period. When does the period end?