Step 5.1 · The Strategic Homebuyer

Your offer is accepted. Now the work is dates.

The offer your agent negotiated did three things. It set a price. It locked in your protections, the contingencies that let you walk away with your deposit intact. And it started a clock. From here, almost everything that matters is a date, and a few of those dates are binding. This page walks the road ahead, then reads your contract pass by pass.

For educational purposes only. This is not legal advice and not a binding contract. Nothing here changes, replaces, or interprets the contract you signed. Your contract, your agent, and where it matters an attorney are what control. Use this to walk in informed and to ask sharper questions.
The road ahead

From acceptance to keys.

From here, almost everything runs on dates. Some are binding, meaning a missed one can cost you your deposit or the deal. The rest are milestones along the way.

Three dates are binding. They are the ones to know cold. Everything else is a step, not a cliff.

The story behind these dates

Meet the Johnsons

Meet the Johnsons, a sample buyer we follow through this step, so every example traces a single purchase from offer to keys. They and their home are made up for the lesson.

The home
1234 Anywhere St, Anywhere USA 55555, a 574,900 home
Offer accepted
April 3, 2025
What they negotiated
An 8,000 seller credit toward closing costs and a rate buydown that lowered their payment
Earnest money
15,000, held in escrow
Close of escrow
April 24, 2025

The day their offer was accepted, the clock started. Every date below counts from April 3. That is why the inspection objection lands April 10, the appraisal contingency April 17, the financing contingency April 19, and the close lands April 24.

All figures are illustrative and match the sample documents used elsewhere in this step. Your own numbers come from your contract.

You are viewing the sample

These follow the Johnson sample. Open the story above for the details.

Build it around your home

Enter your details and your binding dates calculate from your acceptance date. We send a copy to you and flag any dates you are unsure of.

Binding date Milestone

Right after acceptance

Day 1

Earnest money depositedApr 4
Escrow opened with the title companyApr 4
Inspection scheduledApr 5

Inspections and due diligence

Week 1

Inspection completed and reviewedApr 7
BindingInspection objection deadline
Sample: Apr 10

The last day to raise repairs or walk away with your deposit intact.

Do you know this date and what happens if it passes?
Inspection contingency releasedApr 13

Appraisal and financing

Week 2

Appraisal completedApr 15
BindingAppraisal contingency deadline
Sample: Apr 17

Your window to act if the home appraises below the price you agreed to.

Do you know this date and what happens if it passes?
Loan in underwritingApr 11

Final approval and prep

Week 3

BindingFinancing contingency deadline
Sample: Apr 19

Loan approval must be firmly in hand by now, or your deposit is exposed.

Do you know this date and what happens if it passes?
Clear to close receivedApr 18
Homeowner's insurance boundApr 16
Final walkthrough scheduledApr 23

Closing day

The finish

Closing disclosure reviewed, three business days aheadApr 21
Final walkthrough completedApr 23
Cash to close wired, verified by phoneApr 23
Do you know your close of escrow date and what has to be done by then?
Final Keys in hand, you own the home Apr 24

The one most people cannot name

Your earnest money starts out refundable. At a set point, usually once the inspection window passes, it turns non-refundable. After that, walking away can mean losing it. This is the single date worth pinning down first, and it is the next pass.

A note on appraisal and financing dates

Many states, including Arizona, do not set separate deadlines for appraisal and financing. They are often the same as your close of escrow date rather than their own earlier dates. Check with your agent to confirm how your contract is written.

These dates follow the Johnson sample in the story above. Check the box to build this around your own home.

Now the contract itself, one pass at a time. A protection you don't act on before its deadline becomes a waiver, whether you meant it or not.

See it worked through

New to this? Pick a sample contract below. Every pass fills in so you can read a completed walkthrough and the result it produces before you do your own. Nothing about a sample is ever sent anywhere.