What Happens After You Accept an Offer on Your Westside LA Home

You accepted an offer. The negotiation is over. It feels like the hard part is done. In many ways it is. But the next 30 to 45 days have their own rhythm, and knowing the steps in advance removes most of the uncertainty that makes sellers anxious.

Here is what to expect from accepted offer to the day the keys change hands.

Within a day or two of both parties signing the accepted purchase agreement, I open escrow with a neutral third-party company. Escrow's job is to hold the buyer's deposit, manage the paperwork, coordinate with the title company, and make sure all conditions are met before funds and ownership transfer. California uses escrow instead of attorneys at closing. The escrow officer is not your advocate, but they follow instructions from both sides carefully and handle the details so neither party has to.

In most California purchase contracts, the buyer has 17 days after the executed date to complete inspections and review disclosures. During that window, expect a general home inspection, sometimes a pest inspection, and potentially roof or chimney inspections depending on the property's age. The buyer is also reviewing the disclosures you provided: the Transfer Disclosure Statement, the natural hazard reports, and any HOA documents if applicable.

Your job during this period is to give the inspectors and the buyer's agent reasonable access. I coordinate the scheduling so you are not fielding multiple requests directly. Full disclosure is completed during the pre-launch process, which keeps surprises mid-escrow to a minimum. For more on how I handle the full sale, see the guide to selling a Westside Los Angeles home.

After the inspection, the buyer often submits a request for repairs or credits. This is normal. How you respond is a negotiation, and it matters. Some requests are reasonable and worth addressing. Others are minor items that belong on the seller's no list. I go through every request with you, item by item, so you understand what is typical and what is not before you respond.

Handling this well keeps the deal intact. Handling it poorly, whether by giving away too much or refusing everything, is one of the spots where sales fall apart. The common pitfalls on the seller's side are covered in the biggest mistakes sellers make.

If the buyer is financing the purchase, the lender orders an appraisal. The appraiser visits the home and produces an independent valuation. If it comes in at or above the purchase price, the transaction moves forward. If it comes in below, both sides have decisions to make: the buyer can make up the difference in cash, the seller can reduce the price, or the parties can meet somewhere in the middle. An appraisal gap is rarely fatal to a well-negotiated deal, but it does require calm handling at the right moment.

While the inspection and appraisal are running, the buyer's lender is also working: verifying documentation, ordering the appraisal, and submitting the file for final underwriting. You may hear nothing from the buyer's side for a stretch of days during this phase. That is normal. If a problem arises, I hear first. My job is to keep you informed at every meaningful milestone and not generate noise when nothing needs your attention.

A day or two before closing, the buyer walks through the home one more time. They are confirming it is in the same condition as when they made the offer and that any agreed repairs were completed. This is not another inspection. It is a confirmation. Have the home clean and clear of your belongings by this point. Any new damage or debris creates problems at the last hour.

Sellers typically sign closing documents a day or two before the actual close date, often with a notary at your home or at the escrow office. You sign the deed, various lender-related forms, and the settlement statement showing your final net proceeds. Those numbers should track closely with the estimate I showed you before we launched the listing. Building the net proceeds estimate carefully up front is how I keep surprises off the table. For a full breakdown of what closing costs include, read what it costs to sell a home in Westside Los Angeles.

The home officially transfers to the buyer when the deed records with the county, which typically happens on the agreed close date by early afternoon. Funds are usually released to you the same day or the next business day.

The most common seller concern during escrow is silence. When you are not hearing daily updates, it is easy to assume something went wrong. Most of the time, silence means the transaction is running as it should. I check in at every meaningful milestone and reach out the moment anything needs your attention. You are never waiting for me to call back.

If you are still in the preparation phase and want the full picture before you get to this point, start with how to prepare your Westside LA home for the market.

Escrow is a manageable process when someone is running it cleanly and keeping you informed. I handle everything from the first inspection request to the final recording, and I give you real answers with no pressure. Your next chapter starts here.

If you want to talk through what selling looks like for your specific home, book a consultation and we will map it out together.

If you are weighing a sale on the Westside, the useful first conversation is not about a listing price. It is about what your home needs, what it will cost, and what it is likely to return. First Key Pacific is my practice, and I walk the property before anyone spends a dollar. Tell me about your home and we will start there.