{"id":42332,"date":"2024-03-28T13:30:18","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T20:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=42332"},"modified":"2025-11-25T02:14:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T10:14:23","slug":"buyer-what-happens-if-seller-missed-closing-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-happens-if-seller-missed-closing-date\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens if a Seller Missed the Closing Date?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a home sale closing is delayed, it\u2019s usually the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-seller-refuses-to-leave-home-after-closing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">buyer holding up the deal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to financing hiccups, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-often-do-home-appraisals-come-in-low\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">low appraisals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-property-title-search\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">title issues<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or problems found during the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-final-walkthrough-checklist\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">final walkthrough<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These are common obstacles with obvious solutions. But what happens if a seller misses the closing date?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, we&#8217;ll provide expert insights on why a home seller might miss the closing date, and what you can do to resolve the delay and get your home purchase back on track. We\u2019ll also look at legal options if a seller defaults on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-real-estate-contract\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">purchase agreement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBoth parties live and die by what\u2019s in the purchase contract,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedonaldsonlawfirm.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stephen Donaldson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a leading real estate attorney with The Donaldson Law Firm in New York. \u201cThe closing date is always in the contract. If there are contingencies around that, you live and die by the contingencies you&#8217;re obligated to. The buyer and seller have rights and obligations to pursue the \u2018contract to sell\u2019 to which they agreed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Achieve Greater Buyer Confidence With a Top Agent<\/h3>\n                        <p>HomeLight can connect you with the most experienced buyer\u2019s agents in your home shopping area. These top professionals can help you make the best buying decisions and protect your interests.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/find-agent\/quiz\/buyer?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Get Started<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Disclaimer: As a friendly reminder, this blog post is meant to be used for educational purposes, not legal advice. HomeLight always encourages you to reach out to your own advisor.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"section--1\" data-toc-header=\"What happens on a home sale closing date?\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>What happens on a home sale closing date?<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-mortgage-contingency-date-vs-closing-date\/\">closing date<\/a> marks the final step in the homebuying process, where ownership officially transfers from the seller to you, the buyer. This day is momentous for several reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Final walkthrough:<\/strong> You&#8217;ll have the chance to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/house-walkthrough\/\">inspect the property<\/a> one last time, ensuring everything is in the agreed-upon condition.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Signing documents:<\/strong> Both parties sign legal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-documents-needed-to-buy-a-house\/\">documents<\/a>, including the deed and mortgage paperwork, finalizing the sale.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Paying closing costs:<\/strong> You&#8217;ll pay any remaining <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-closing-costs-for-buyer\/\">fees and costs<\/a> associated with the purchase. This often includes loan origination fees, appraisal fees, and title insurance.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Receiving the keys:<\/strong> At the end of the day, you&#8217;ll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-do-you-get-keys-at-closing\/\">receive the keys<\/a> to your new home, marking the beginning of a new chapter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"section--2\" data-toc-header=\"Reasons a seller might miss the closing date\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Reasons a seller might miss the closing date<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe most common reason a seller delays closing is because they don&#8217;t have a new place to live yet,\u201d Donaldson says. \u201cThey may be planning on buying another home, and they either haven&#8217;t found a new one yet, or they are waiting for the people they&#8217;re buying from to get out of that house \u2014 that second house \u2014 so they can move out of the house they\u2019re selling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He adds, \u201cOr sometimes if there&#8217;s a problem with the mover, they may need another few days. They\u2019ll say, \u2018My stuff is still here. I can&#8217;t get out because the movers didn&#8217;t show up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some other common reasons a seller might miss the closing date:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Financial issues:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The seller may be experiencing difficulties in paying off their existing mortgage or other liens against the property, causing delays.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Title problems: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unexpected issues with the property&#8217;s title can arise, such as disputes over property lines or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-buying-a-house-with-unpermitted-additions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">undisclosed easements<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Repairs taking longer than expected:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If the sale is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-does-contingent-mean-in-real-estate\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contingent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on certain repairs being completed, any delays in these can push back the closing date.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Personal circumstances:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The seller&#8217;s personal situations, like illness or a change in family circumstances, can unexpectedly delay the process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cSo if the seller says, \u2018Listen, I need more time,\u2019 it&#8217;s usually because they or a family member don&#8217;t have any place else to go,\u201d Donaldson says. \u201cThey may have children who are going off to college, and this is why they&#8217;re selling. They say, \u2018I haven&#8217;t moved out yet; my kid is still here. They&#8217;re not going to college for another week. Give me some more time.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here is what happens if a seller missed the closing date. See home buyer options, from negotiations to legal action. An attorney shares expert tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":42335,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,701,646],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-buyer-closing","category-making-offers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Happens if a Seller Missed the Closing Date?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here&#039;s what happens if a seller missed the closing date. See homebuyer options, from negotiations to legal action. 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Previously, he served as an editor and content producer for World Company, Gannett, and Western News &amp; Info, where he also served as news director and director of internet operations.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.homelight.com","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-w-haddad"],"url":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/author\/richardhaddad\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}