In Texas, you usually close at a title company. You sign the loan and title papers, the title company collects your funds, the lender funds the loan, and the deed is recorded. Under the standard TREC resale contract, you get possession at closing and funding unless a written lease says otherwise. Most of the work happens in the days before, when you review your Closing Disclosure and confirm wire instructions by phone.
Brock Bremmer | Real Estate Agent | eXp Realty | San Antonio Metro Area
Buyer & New Construction Specialist
Also see: Title Insurance in Texas | Third Party Financing Addendum | Surveys in Texas
What Happens in the Days Before Closing?
- Closing Disclosure. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says your lender has to give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you close. Compare it line by line with your Loan Estimate and ask about anything that changed.
- Title and survey. Read the title commitment and the survey before closing so you can raise objections early, not at the table.
- Insurance. Your homeowners policy has to be in place for the lender.
- Final walkthrough. Confirm the home’s condition and any agreed repairs before you sign.
Where Do You Close in Texas, and Who’s There?
The TREC contract names an escrow agent, and in Texas that’s normally a title company. At closing, the title company’s escrow officer walks you through the documents. Your agent can be there with you, and the seller may sign at a different time. If you have a loan, the lender sends the loan package to the title company, and the closing isn’t finished until the lender funds.
What Do You Bring to Closing?
- A valid government photo ID for everyone signing.
- Your funds to close. TREC’s resale contract (form 20-19) says the buyer pays “in good funds acceptable to the Escrow Agent.” Ask your title company exactly which forms of payment it accepts, usually a wire or a cashier’s check.
- Anything your lender or title company asked for, like a final pay stub or a signed document they’re missing.
How Do You Protect Yourself From Wire Fraud?
The FBI warns that criminals break into real estate email threads and send fake wiring instructions right before closing. Before you wire money, call your title company at a number you already have, not one from the email, and confirm the instructions out loud. Be very suspicious of any last-minute change in where to send money. If something goes wrong, call your bank right away and report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
What Do You Sign, and Who Pays What?
Under the TREC resale contract, the seller signs a general warranty deed and provides tax statements showing no delinquent taxes. You sign your note, deed of trust, and other loan documents, plus title affidavits. Some costs are set by the contract:
- Escrow fee: split, with one half paid by each side.
- Prorations: current-year taxes and regular HOA dues are prorated through the closing date.
- Buyer’s expenses: loan costs, the lender’s title policy, prepaid insurance and tax reserves, and any VA funding fee, FHA premium, or PMI the lender requires.
- Seller help: the contract has a blank for a dollar amount the seller will pay toward your expenses. It can’t be used for brokerage compensation.
VA and other government loans have one more wrinkle. Paragraph 12C of the TREC contract says that if a loan program doesn’t let the buyer pay certain fees, the seller’s contribution goes to those fees first, then to your other expenses. That’s one reason your agent and lender should look at the numbers together before you sign. The final figures all show up on your Closing Disclosure, so that three-day review window is your chance to catch a mistake.
When Do You Get the Keys?
Paragraph 10 of TREC’s resale contract gives two choices: possession “upon closing and funding,” or under a written temporary lease. If you get possession before closing or the seller stays after closing without a written lease, the contract says that creates a “tenancy at sufferance.” It also warns both sides to check insurance before possession changes hands.
How Is Closing Different on a New Build?
Builders usually use their own contract instead of TREC’s form, and many work with a preferred title company. Read the builder contract for how closing and possession work, and do a final walkthrough with a written punch list before you sign. I go through it step by step in What Actually Happens on Closing Day When You Buy New Construction in San Antonio. More: what to look for in a builder contract and what a new-home warranty covers.
What Should You Do Right After Closing?
- Save your closing package, including the Closing Disclosure, deed, and title policy, once you receive it.
- Set up utilities in your name. See utilities in San Antonio.
- File your homestead exemption. See homestead in Bexar County.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you get the keys after closing in Texas?
Under the TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), the seller delivers possession upon closing and funding unless the parties sign a temporary lease. Builder contracts set their own terms, so read yours.
How many days before closing do you get the Closing Disclosure?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says your lender must give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before you close on the loan, so you can compare it with your Loan Estimate.
Ready to Buy in San Antonio?
Brock Bremmer with eXp Realty is a U.S. Air Force Reserves veteran with 130+ homes sold across the San Antonio metro and an eXp ICON agent (2023–24). He guides buyers from contract to keys on resale and new construction homes in San Antonio, New Braunfels, and Boerne, including the title, survey, and closing steps.
- 📞 Call or text: 210-501-5088
- 📧 Email: [email protected]
- 📅 Schedule a free consultation
Also see: Earnest Money in Texas | The Option Period | Buyer Representation Agreements | HOA Resale Certificates | Why Payments Rise on New Builds
Sources: CFPB, What is a Closing Disclosure?; TREC, One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), form 20-19; FBI, Building a Digital Defense Against Real Estate Fraud; FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (accessed November 10, 2026).