Under Contract on the Gulf Coast: Your Next Steps After the Purchase Agreement Is Signed

This is the first call I want you to make, because the inspection period starts the moment the contract is signed. A general home inspection is the foundation, and on the coast I often suggest adding a termite report, a roof inspection, and specialty inspections for things like the pool, the dock, the seawall, or the boat lift. You will find more on each below.

I am always happy to share recommendations on local home inspectors I trust. I keep that list close rather than publishing it, so call or text me and I will tell you who I would call first for your particular property.

If you are financing, your lender needs the fully signed purchase agreement, including every addendum, as soon as we have it. That starts the formal loan process. Stay close to your phone in the days after, because lenders often come back quickly with requests for documents.

A gentle reminder: until you close, try not to open new credit, move large sums between accounts without a paper trail, or make big purchases. Ask your lender before you do anything that could change your file.

Your earnest money is typically sent through a secure platform called Payload and deposited into my brokerage’s escrow account, Bellator Real Estate LLC. It is held there and credited toward your purchase at closing.

The deadline to deliver it is per your contract, and it comes quickly, so I like to get this done right away. Before you send anything, call me to confirm the instructions you received are the ones I sent.

Once your loan is underway, your lender orders the appraisal. The appraiser is independent, and you will not choose who it is. They will need access to the property, which I help coordinate, including gate access in a guarded community.

If the value comes in below the contract price, we will look at your options together, and what your contract allows, before any deadline passes.

The seller delivers the association documents: the declaration and covenants, bylaws, rules, budget, financial statements, and often recent minutes. It is imperative that you read them, not skim them. This is where you learn what you can and cannot do, and what owning there will really cost.

If at all possible, talk with someone on the HOA board and with the property management company. Ask about recent minutes, the financials, past assessments, any future or planned assessments, insurance assessments, and the health of the reserves. Ask what projects are coming and how they will be paid for. A short conversation can tell you more than a stack of paper.

For condo buyers, I go much deeper on dues, reserves, and insurance in my Gulf Coast Condo Buyer Guide.

If any furnishings or inventory are included, and this is very common with Gulf Coast condos, now is the time to nail down the list. Everything from the sofa and the dining set to linens, kitchenware, televisions, beach chairs, and the grill.

If you plan to rent, ask what is owned by the seller and what belongs to a rental company. We want the list attached to or referenced in the contract, so there is no confusion at the walk-through.

For a house or a vacant lot, I encourage buyers to consider a boundary survey, an elevation certificate, and in some cases a topographic survey. A boundary survey shows where your lines actually are, along with improvements, fences, and easements. An elevation certificate helps your insurance agent price flood coverage. A topographic survey shows the grade, which matters a great deal if you are planning to build.

Your title company and lender may have their own survey requirements, so we will confirm those early.

On the coast, I want insurance quotes in hand early in the inspection period, not the week before closing. Wind and flood can be meaningful parts of the cost of owning here, and they can change how a property fits your plans. Your lender will need proof of coverage before closing.

Share your inspection reports, roof age, and any elevation certificate with your insurance agent. More on what to ask is in the insurance section below.

The title company or closing attorney searches the public records for liens, judgments, and anything that could cloud ownership, then issues a title commitment and handles the closing itself. I encourage buyers to ask about an owner’s title insurance policy, which protects you, separate from the lender’s policy, which protects the lender.

Read the exceptions in the title commitment, including survey exceptions. Without a survey, a title policy may not cover matters a survey would have shown.

Once the inspection reports are in, we sit down together and decide what matters. Every house has a list. We focus on safety, systems, water, structure, and anything that affects insurability.

Depending on your contract, we may ask the seller to repair, offer a credit, adjust the price, or, if the findings are serious, discuss stepping away. All of it has to happen within your inspection period, which is why Step 1 comes first.

The title company requests a letter from the association stating what the seller owes in dues and assessments, and what fees come due at transfer. Some associations charge transfer fees or a capital contribution from the buyer.

Who pays what is per your contract and the association’s documents. I like to know those numbers early, so nothing surprises you on the settlement statement.

If you are financing, your lender must deliver your Closing Disclosure a few business days before closing, as federal rules require. Read it carefully and compare it to your Loan Estimate: the rate, the loan amount, the cash to close, and every fee.

If something looks different than you expected, call your lender right away. Questions are much easier to settle before closing day than at the table.

If you are wiring funds to close, call the title company at a number you already know and trust, not one from a message, and confirm the wiring instructions out loud before you send a dollar.

Never act on changed wiring instructions that arrive in your inbox, even if they look exactly right. More on this below, because it matters that much.

Arrange power, water, sewer, internet, and trash to transfer into your name on the closing date. On the coast, add pest control, pool service, landscaping, and if you will be away, a home watch service.

For trusted local trades and home watch on the island, my guide to Ono Island contractors and home services is a good place to start.

Shortly before closing, we walk the property together. We confirm agreed repairs were made, the systems work, the inventory is there, and the property is in the condition your contract calls for.

Run the water, flip the switches, open the sliders, and look at the ceilings. If something is off, we address it before you sign.

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID, and any documents your title company or lender has asked for. Your funds should already be wired and verified, or arranged exactly as the title company instructed.

If you are closing remotely or by mail-away, we plan the signing and notary ahead of time so nothing waits on a courier.

At closing, collect every key, fob, gate code, garage and gate remote, mailbox key, pool key, storage key, and any parking passes or decals. For condos, ask the management office how to register as the new owner for access and parking.

Change the locks and codes you can, and register with the HOA or POA so you receive notices and community updates.

If short-term rental is part of your plan, rules come from the association and from the city or county. In Orange Beach, the city requires a business license and a vacation rental certificate, along with lodging tax registration. In Florida, the state has its own vacation rental licensing, and Escambia County has a tourist development tax registration.

Requirements change, so confirm with the city or county and your rental manager before you plan around income. If a boat slip matters too, my guide to Orange Beach condos and communities with boat slips that allow rentals is a helpful start.

With a condo, much of your homework is the association. Read the declaration, rules, budget, financials, minutes, and insurance details, and talk with the board and the management company if you can. Ask about reserves, past and planned assessments, insurance assessments, and any big projects coming.

Confirm rental rules, pet rules, parking, storage, and any boat slip assignment in writing. Nail down the furnishings inventory, and ask about the master policy deductible. My Gulf Coast Condo Buyer Guide goes deeper on each of these.

For a detached home, the property is all yours to understand: the roof, systems, structure, and grounds. Consider a boundary survey and an elevation certificate. Add a termite report, a roof inspection, and specialty inspections for the pool, dock, seawall, or lift where they apply.

Confirm septic or sewer, ask about the roof’s age and any FORTIFIED designation, and get wind and flood quotes early. If the home is in an HOA or POA, read those documents with the same care as a condo buyer.

With land, you are buying what you can build. Confirm zoning, setbacks, the flood zone, and any building restrictions. Ask whether water, sewer, and power are available at the lot. Look for wetlands, and if the lot would be on septic, a perc test. Review the POA rules and the architectural review requirements, often called the ACC, before you fall in love with a floor plan.

A boundary survey and a topographic survey are often wise, and an elevation certificate or flood determination helps you plan the build. If fill and grade may be part of your plans, my guide to bringing in sand, fill, and grade on Ono Island walks through what to expect.

Ono Island is a private, gated island with a guard at the entrance and its own property owners association. Your inspectors, appraiser, surveyor, and contractors all need gate access, so tell me who is coming and when, and I will help coordinate.

Read the POA documents and rules carefully, including the architectural control committee, or ACC, requirements if you plan to build or renovate. Ask the POA about dues, assessments, and upcoming island-wide projects, including anything related to the bridge. Ono Island is served by Orange Beach sewer, but I always confirm the connection for each lot. For trusted trades and home watch, see my guide to Ono Island contractors and home services.

Crossing the state line changes a few things. In Florida, condo resale buyers have a review and cancellation window under state law that starts once the contract is signed and the required association documents are received. Your contract’s condominium rider spells out the details.

For condo buildings three or more habitable stories tall, Florida requires milestone structural inspections at certain ages and a structural integrity reserve study, often called a SIRS. Ask for both, along with how the association plans to fund the work. Florida termite reports use the state WDO form, and insurers often look for a wind mitigation report and, on older homes, a 4-point inspection.

On Pensacola Beach, how property is held can differ from what buyers expect on the mainland. Ask the title company early how the property is held, and bring in a Florida attorney where it makes sense.

Put every contract deadline on the calendar, then order your inspections right away, send the signed contract to your lender, and send your earnest money. The inspection period starts when the contract is signed, so those first few days matter.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

When you buy with me, your earnest money is typically sent through a secure platform called Payload and deposited into my brokerage’s escrow account, Bellator Real Estate LLC. It is held there and credited toward your purchase at closing. Always call me to confirm instructions before you send funds.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

Your lender lends on the lower of the appraised value and the price, so the difference has to be addressed. We can renegotiate with the seller, you can bring more cash, or, if your contract allows, you may be able to step away. Timing is per your contract.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

It depends on your contract and its deadlines. Many contracts give buyers an inspection or due diligence period to request repairs, negotiate, or step away. Once that period passes, those options can narrow, which is why I calendar it on day one.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

For a home or a vacant lot, I encourage buyers to consider a boundary survey, and often an elevation certificate. If you plan to build, a topographic survey is wise. Condo buyers usually do not order one the same way. Your title company and lender may also have survey requirements.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

An estoppel, sometimes called an HOA payoff letter, confirms what the seller owes the association and what fees are due at transfer. Some associations charge buyers a transfer fee or capital contribution. Who pays what is per your contract and the association’s documents.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

Before wiring any money, call the title company at a phone number you already know and trust, and confirm the instructions out loud. Never act on changed wiring instructions that arrive in your inbox, even if they look real.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

Florida gives condo resale buyers a review and cancellation window under state law once the contract is signed and the required documents are received. For buildings three or more habitable stories tall, ask for the milestone inspection status and the structural integrity reserve study. Confirm the details with your Florida attorney or title company.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

Ono Island is a gated island with its own property owners association. Plan gate access for your inspectors, appraiser, and surveyor, read the POA documents carefully, and review the ACC requirements if you plan to build or renovate. I also confirm the sewer connection for each lot.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.

Only if the association allows it and you have the required licenses and registrations. In Orange Beach, the city requires a business license and a vacation rental certificate, plus lodging tax registration. In Florida, there is state vacation rental licensing and county tourist tax registration. Confirm the current rules before you plan around income.

Call or text me if you want to talk this through.