A step-by-step guide to the final stretch of your purchase, including the Closing Disclosure, wire transfers, the closing table itself, and what happens after you get the keys.
You found the home. You completed the inspection. The appraisal cleared. The lender issued final approval. Now you're 7 to 10 days out from closing, and the deal moves into a structured final stretch: review documents, wire money, do a final walk-through, sign at the closing table, and walk out with keys.
This guide walks through closing specifically for Woodbury MN move-up buyers. The timeline, the documents, what to bring, what can go wrong, and how to handle it. It assumes you've already worked through Deciding to Buy, Getting Pre-Approved, Searching for a Home, and Inspections and Appraisals.
Darin Bjerknes has been selling east metro homes for 20+ years. The sections below are the practical playbook for the final stretch.
The closing timeline
Most Woodbury closings follow a similar arc in the 10 days leading up to closing day.
10 to 7 days before closing. Your lender finalizes the loan file, orders the title work, and prepares the Closing Disclosure (CD). Your title company prepares the title commitment, settlement statement, and recording documents.
3 days before closing. The lender is required by federal law (TRID rule) to provide the final Closing Disclosure at least 3 business days before closing. This document shows your final loan terms, monthly payment, cash to close, and itemized closing costs. Read it carefully.
1 to 2 days before closing. Your agent schedules the final walk-through, you initiate the wire transfer for cash to close (if applicable), and you confirm the closing time and location.
Closing day. You sign documents at the title company office, the lender funds the loan, the title company records the deed, and you receive keys. The whole signing typically takes 60 to 90 minutes.
1 to 2 weeks after closing. The original recorded warranty deed comes back from the county. Save it with your other important documents.
The final walk-through
The final walk-through happens 24 to 48 hours before closing. It's not a second inspection. It's a confirmation that the home is in the same condition you contracted to buy, that any negotiated repairs have been completed, and that no new damage has occurred since the inspection.
What to check:
- Condition matches the contract. The home should be in the same condition as when you wrote the offer, plus any agreed repairs.
- Agreed repairs are complete. If the seller agreed to fix a roof leak or replace a water heater, verify the work was done.
- Included items are still there. Appliances, light fixtures, and anything else specified in the purchase agreement should still be in the home.
- Major systems work. Run the HVAC. Flush a toilet. Turn on the kitchen faucet. Open the garage door.
- No new damage. Look for anything that might have happened during the seller's move-out (scuffed walls, broken glass, missing fixtures).
If something is wrong, your agent contacts the listing agent immediately. Sometimes closings are delayed a day to resolve walk-through issues. Sometimes a credit at closing replaces a physical fix.
The Closing Disclosure and the 3-day rule
The Closing Disclosure (CD) is the most important document you'll see before closing. Federal law requires you to receive it at least 3 business days before closing, and certain changes (interest rate increase, loan product change, prepayment penalty added) trigger a new 3-day waiting period.
What to verify on the CD:
- Loan amount, interest rate, and term. All three should match your final loan estimate.
- Monthly principal and interest. Should match your pre-approval scenarios.
- Estimated taxes and insurance escrow. Confirm with what your lender quoted.
- Cash to close. This is the dollar figure you wire to the title company on closing day. Verify this matches what your lender told you, and verify the wire instructions came from a verified source (not an email).
- Itemized closing costs. Origination fees, title insurance, recording fees, transfer taxes, prepaid items. If anything looks unfamiliar, ask your lender to explain.
If the CD has any errors or surprises, raise them immediately. The closer to closing, the harder it is to fix.
Cash to close: wire transfer vs. cashier's check
Most Woodbury closings require cash to close in the form of a wire transfer to the title company. Some title companies accept cashier's checks for smaller amounts (under $50,000), but wire is the default for move-up buyers in the $500K to $1.5M range.
Wire fraud warning. Real estate wire fraud is one of the most common closing scams. The pattern: scammers compromise an email account (yours, your agent's, the title company's, or the lender's), watch the conversation, and at the last minute send fake wire instructions that route your money to their account. Several million dollars are lost to this scam every year nationally.
How to protect yourself:
- Never trust wire instructions sent by email. Even if the email looks legitimate, even if it appears to come from someone you trust.
- Verify wire instructions by phone. Call the title company at a number you independently looked up (not a number from the email). Confirm the routing number, account number, and beneficiary name with a live person.
- Confirm the wire actually arrived. After sending, call the title company and verify they received it.
- If anything feels off, stop and call. Wire fraud usually has tell-tale signs: last-minute changes, unusual urgency, slightly different email addresses (one letter different), or instructions that contradict earlier conversations.
Darin walks through wire-fraud safeguards with every move-up buyer specifically because the dollar amounts at this price band make Woodbury closings high-value targets.
What documents you sign at closing
A typical Woodbury closing involves 30 to 60 pages of documents. The major categories:
Loan documents (lender):
- Promissory note (your promise to repay the loan)
- Mortgage or deed of trust (the security interest in the home)
- Truth-in-Lending Disclosure
- Closing Disclosure (signed copy)
- Various lender-specific affidavits
Title and ownership documents (title company):
- Warranty deed (transfers ownership to you)
- Settlement statement (final accounting of money in and out)
- Title insurance policy
- Affidavits of identity, marital status (if applicable), and occupancy
Government and tax documents:
- IRS Form W-9
- Real estate transfer documents
- Various state and local tax forms
You'll be signing more or less continuously for 60 to 90 minutes. The closer (a title company employee) walks you through what each document does. Don't sign anything you don't understand. Ask questions. The closer expects them.
What to bring to closing
The day-of essentials:
- Government-issued photo ID for every person on the loan and on title. Driver's license is typical. Passport works. Most title companies require a valid, unexpired ID.
- Wire confirmation if you sent the wire ahead. The title company should confirm receipt before you arrive.
- Cashier's check if you're using one instead of a wire (less common for move-up purchases).
- Proof of homeowner's insurance. Your lender required this before issuing final approval, but the title company may want a copy.
- Any agreed-upon documents specific to your transaction (powers of attorney, trust documents, etc.).
What you don't need to bring: a checkbook (most closing costs cannot be paid by personal check), or random paperwork "just in case." The title company has everything in their file.
Closing-day problems and how to handle them
A small percentage of closings hit a snag on the day. The common ones and the fix:
Wire didn't arrive. Title company can't fund. Call the bank immediately to trace. Most wires sent before 10 AM Central arrive by closing time, but Federal Reserve cutoffs and bank-level delays happen. Worst case: closing pushes by 24 hours.
ID issue. A spouse on title forgot their license. Title company often allows a passport or other ID. Otherwise the spouse signs later and the recording is amended.
Walk-through issue surfaced last minute. The seller's negotiated repair wasn't done. Options: closing credit at the table, escrow holdback (money held by title company until repair is verified), or reschedule closing.
Signer not present. A co-borrower is traveling. Pre-arranged power of attorney solves this if set up days in advance. If not pre-arranged, closing reschedules.
Last-minute lender condition. Underwriter requests one more document before funding. Usually resolved within hours. Sometimes pushes closing by 24 hours.
Last-minute discrepancy. A fee changes, a calculation error surfaces, or the cash to close shifts. Title company recalculates, you sign updated documents.
Darin walks through any of these scenarios as they happen and coordinates with the title company, lender, and listing agent to keep the deal on track.
Title insurance, recordings, and the deed
Title insurance protects you against ownership claims that could surface after closing (a forgotten heir, a missed lien, a forged deed in the chain of title). For Woodbury closings, you'll typically pay for an owner's title policy at closing. The policy is one-time premium and lasts as long as you own the home.
The warranty deed is the document that legally transfers ownership from the seller to you. After closing, the title company sends the deed to Washington County (for most Woodbury addresses) for recording. Recording typically completes within 1 to 3 weeks. The original recorded deed comes back to you by mail. Save it with your important documents; you'll need it if you ever sell or refinance.
For HOA-governed Woodbury homes, the title company also pays any required HOA transfer fees and confirms your status with the association.
After closing: keys, possession, and next steps
In Minnesota, possession typically transfers at closing, meaning you get the keys on closing day. Some contracts negotiate a delayed possession (seller stays a few days post-closing for a rent-back), but the default for Woodbury move-up purchases is keys-at-closing.
After you receive keys, before you fully move in:
- Change the locks. Unknown number of copies floating around (former owner's family, contractors, dog-walkers, neighbors). Replacing the deadbolt costs $20 to $40 per lock at any hardware store.
- Locate the main water shutoff, gas shutoff, and electrical panel. You should know where these are before you need them.
- Test the smoke and CO detectors. Replace batteries.
- Forward your mail. USPS at usps.com/move.
- Update your address with banks, employers, insurance, DMV (Minnesota requires updating your driver's license address within 30 days of moving).
- Set up utility transfers (water, gas, electric, internet, garbage).
The next page in this funnel covers Moving to Woodbury in detail: utilities, schools, neighborhood resources, and what to do in your first 30 days.
Working with Darin and Courtney during closing
Darin Bjerknes has been selling east metro homes for 20+ years. The closing phase is where his transaction coordinator, Courtney, runs in parallel. Courtney handles the document flow with the title company, schedules the closing, coordinates with the lender on funding, and confirms the wire instructions and recording timeline. Darin handles the strategic and human side, including the final walk-through, last-minute issues, and the conversation at the closing table.
For Woodbury move-up buyers, that means a structured handoff between agent and TC, no surprises in the final 10 days, and a closing experience where the document flow happens in the background while you're focused on the move itself.
If you're thinking about buying in Woodbury, set up a time to chat, or call 612-702-5126.
Closing FAQ for Woodbury move-up buyers
How long does a Woodbury home closing take? The signing itself takes 60 to 90 minutes at the title company office. The full closing day, including final walk-through and key handoff, is usually 2 to 3 hours.
What is the Closing Disclosure (CD)? A federally required document that itemizes your final loan terms, monthly payment, cash to close, and closing costs. By law, you receive it at least 3 business days before closing.
How do I send cash to close? Most Woodbury closings use a wire transfer to the title company. Some title companies accept cashier's checks for smaller amounts. Always verify wire instructions by phone with the title company before sending.
What is wire fraud and how do I avoid it? Wire fraud is a closing scam where criminals send fake wire instructions to redirect your cash to close. Avoid it by verifying wire instructions by phone (not email), confirming receipt with the title company after sending, and treating any last-minute change to wire instructions as suspicious until verified.
What do I bring to closing? Government-issued photo ID for everyone on the loan and title. Wire confirmation if you wired ahead, or cashier's check if using one. Proof of homeowner's insurance. Any transaction-specific documents like powers of attorney or trust paperwork.
When do I get the keys? In Minnesota, possession usually transfers at closing, so you get keys on closing day. Some contracts negotiate delayed possession (seller stays for a rent-back period), but the default is keys-at-closing.
What is title insurance? A one-time premium policy that protects you against ownership claims that could surface after closing (forgotten heirs, missed liens, forged documents in the chain of title). Lasts as long as you own the home.
What happens if there's a problem on closing day? Most closing-day problems are resolvable: late wires get traced, ID issues get worked around, walk-through findings get handled with closing credits or escrow holdbacks, and last-minute lender conditions usually clear within hours. Worst case, closing reschedules by 24 hours.
Do I need to be present at closing? All borrowers and anyone on title need to sign at closing. If a borrower can't be present, a power of attorney needs to be set up days in advance.
How long does it take for the deed to be recorded? 1 to 3 weeks after closing for most Woodbury addresses. The title company submits the warranty deed to Washington County for recording, and the original recorded deed comes back to you by mail.
