What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted? The California Escrow Timeline, Day by Day
A day-by-day walkthrough of a typical 30-day California escrow — earnest money, inspections, disclosures, appraisal, loan approval, contingency removal, final walkthrough, and closing day.
Getting your offer accepted feels like winning — but the 30 days that follow decide whether you actually get the keys. Here's what a typical California escrow looks like, day by day, and what you need to do at each stage.
Days 1–3: Escrow opens
The fully signed purchase agreement goes to an escrow company (a neutral third party). You'll receive wire instructions and must deposit your earnest money (typically 1–3% of the price) within 3 business days. Verify wire instructions by phone — wire fraud targeting home buyers is real and devastating.
Meanwhile, notify your lender immediately so the appraisal gets ordered early; appraisal scheduling is the most common cause of timeline slips.
Days 3–10: Inspections and disclosures
Schedule your general home inspection right away ($400–$700), plus termite and any specialty inspections (roof, sewer lateral, pool, chimney) the general inspector recommends. Attend the inspection if you can — an hour on site teaches you more about the house than any report.
In parallel, the seller delivers California's extensive disclosure package: the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS), Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ), Natural Hazard Disclosure, and HOA documents for condos and planned communities. Read them all; note anything inconsistent with what you saw.
Days 10–17: Negotiate repairs (if needed)
If inspections reveal issues, you have three levers within your inspection contingency: request repairs, request a credit toward closing costs, or — for serious problems — cancel with your deposit returned. Credits are usually cleaner than repairs, since you control the contractor and quality after closing.
Days 7–21: Appraisal and loan approval
The lender's appraiser visits and issues a report. If it appraises at or above the price, you're clear. If low, you can renegotiate the price, pay the difference in cash, or exit under your appraisal contingency.
Underwriting then finalizes your loan. Respond to document requests the same day, and make no financial changes during escrow: no new credit cards, no car purchases, no job changes, no large unexplained deposits.
Days 17–21: Contingency removal
In California, contingencies are removed *actively* — you sign a Contingency Removal form (CR). Once removed, your deposit is generally at risk if you cancel without cause, so remove only when inspections, appraisal, and loan are truly resolved. Your agent will advise the timing; this is the single most consequential signature of escrow.
Days 25–29: Closing preparations
Do your final walkthrough within 5 days of closing: confirm the home's condition, agreed repairs, and included items. Then sign closing documents with a notary (about an hour), and wire your remaining down payment and closing costs. You'll see everything itemized on the Closing Disclosure — compare it against your loan estimate.
Day 30: Recording and keys
The lender funds, the county records the deed (usually the next business morning), and once recording confirms — the home is yours. Keys typically transfer the same day.
Quick reference
| Milestone | Typical Day | Your Action |
|---|---|---|
| Earnest money | 1–3 | Wire deposit (verify by phone) |
| Inspections | 3–10 | Book immediately, attend |
| Disclosures review | 3–14 | Read everything |
| Appraisal | 7–17 | Lender orders early |
| Loan approval | 14–21 | Respond same-day, change nothing financially |
| Contingency removal | 17–21 | Sign only when resolved |
| Final walkthrough | 25–29 | Verify condition |
| Closing | 28–30 | Sign, wire, get keys |
From accepted offer to keys, our licensed agents manage this entire timeline for you — reminders, negotiations, and paperwork included — as part of the same 1% commission. And it all starts with a free offer at freeoffer.house.