The closing process

1. Contract received

The executed contract arrives at your local Omega office and a file is opened. Deposits go into escrow. This is the point to flag anything unusual — a party who cannot attend the signing, an entity buyer, an estate, a language preference.

2. Title search

The public record is examined for everything attached to the property: prior deeds and mortgages, judgments, liens, probate matters, unpaid taxes, easements and restrictions. Most files are clean. The ones that are not are why this step exists.

3. Title commitment

You receive the title commitment — what the policy will cover, and the list of requirements that must be satisfied before it issues. Read it, and ask about anything you do not recognise. More on what the policy covers.

4. Clearing and funding

Requirements are worked through: payoff letters ordered, old liens released, estoppels collected from HOAs and condo associations, surveys reviewed, entity authority documented. In parallel the lender finalises loan documents, figures are balanced, and the settlement statement is prepared. Funds arrive into escrow.

5. Closing and recording

You sign. Omega disburses the funds, records the deed and mortgage with the county clerk, and the title policies issue. Keys change hands.

If you cannot attend, this step can be handled as a mail-away closing, with a mobile notary sent to you. Closings can be conducted in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

What to bring to the closing table

• Government-issued photo ID for every person signing — unexpired.
• Your funds, wired in advance (see below) or as a cashier's cheque if instructed.
• Proof of homeowner's insurance, if financing.
• Entity documents if you are buying through an LLC, corporation or trust.
• Anything your closer specifically asked for — it will be on the list for a reason.

Wire fraud — read this before you send money

Real estate closings are a primary target for wire fraud. The pattern is always the same: an email that looks like it came from your closer, your agent or your lender, arriving near closing, with changed wiring instructions.

• Never accept wiring instructions or changes by email.
• Call to verify — on a number you already had, not one from the email.
• Confirm the account details verbally, digit by digit, before sending.
• Call immediately after sending to confirm receipt. Recovery depends on speed.

Omega National will not send you changed wiring instructions by email.

Authoritative sources

• ALTA Best Practices framework — American Land Title Association
• Owning a Home / closing guidance — Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• Licensee search — Florida Department of Financial Services
• Like-kind exchanges under IRC Section 1031 — Internal Revenue Service

This page is general information about Florida title and settlement practice, not legal or tax advice. Omega National Title Agency has attorneys on staff; for advice on your specific transaction, speak to them or to your own counsel.