Every task from acceptance to recording — 37 of them, in order, each with the deadline rule it runs on. Built for the NJ REALTORS Standard Form of Real Estate Sales Contract (Form-118). Free, no email required.
State
New Jersey
34 states live — each one built on that state's own contract and deadline rules, not a renamed copy of this one.
Put your closing date in and get the real dates
Most checklists tell you "3 days before closing" and leave you to count. This one counts — business days, federal holidays, and the observed weekday when a holiday lands on a weekend.
Contract date
mm/dd/yyyy
Closing date
mm/dd/yyyy
37 tasks across 6 phases
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● Send fully-signed contract to attorneys + open attorney review
Buyer's agent
contract date
On the contract date
● Deliver initial deposit / balance of deposit
Buyer
contract date
On the earnest money due date
● Attorney-review period ends (3 business days)
NJ statutory attorney-review: either attorney may disapprove/modify within 3 business days of delivery of the fully-signed contract. The contract is not firmly binding until review concludes.
For condos/PUDs, review the master deed, bylaws, budget, and any PREDFDA public offering statement / resale packet.
Buyer's agent
14 days after the contract date
Title review complete (Schedule B exceptions cleared)
Review the commitment; clear or resolve Schedule B exceptions.
Title / escrow
12 business days after the contract date
Payoffs / HOA demand received
Loan payoff(s) and HOA demand/estoppel received by escrow.
Title / escrow
7 business days before closing
Confirm Certificate of Occupancy + smoke/CO detector certification
Many NJ municipalities require a resale Certificate of Occupancy and a Smoke Detector, Carbon Monoxide Alarm & Fire Extinguisher certification (CSDCMR, N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3) before closing — typically the seller obtains it.
Listing agent
7 days before closing
CPL issued to lender
Closing Protection Letter issued to the lender.
Title / escrow
5 business days before closing
Order home warranty
Buyer's agent
5 days before closing
Bind homeowner's insurance
Buyer
5 days before closing
● Review Closing Disclosure (3-day rule)
Lender
contract date
3 business days before closing
Closing statement prepared & balanced
CD (financed) or ALTA settlement statement (cash) prepared and balanced.
Title / escrow
4 business days before closing
Clear to close received
Lender issues clear-to-close.
Lender
3 business days before closing
CD delivered (TRID 3-day clock started)
Closing Disclosure delivered to buyer — starts the TRID 3-business-day clock.
Title / escrow
3 business days before closing
Signing scheduled (notary / RON / in-office)
Closing appointment scheduled.
Title / escrow
2 business days before closing
● Final walk-through
Buyer's agent
1 day before closing
● Closing / settlement — sign + fund
Buyer pays Mansion Tax (1% of price where price >= $1,000,000) at closing.
Title / escrow
contract date
On closing
Funded (wire received & confirmed)
Funds wired and confirmed received by escrow.
Title / escrow
contract date
On closing
Recorded (county confirmation)
Deed / mortgage recorded — county e-recording confirmation received.
Title / escrow
1 business day after closing
Confirm deed recording
Title / escrow
2 business days after closing
Deliver keys + possession
Keys and possession transfer at closing unless the contract sets a different possession date. Anything later is post-closing occupancy and needs a written agreement.
Buyer's agent
contract date
On possession
Send closing documents to buyer
Buyer's agent
2 days after closing
Disbursed / policy issued / file closed
Proceeds disbursed, title policy issued, escrow file closed.
Title / escrow
2 business days after closing
Request online review from buyer
Buyer's agent
3 days after closing
contract date
marks a deadline the New Jersey contract itself sets — those dates are not ours to move. Everything else is the working cadence we suggest around them, so you can shift it to suit how you run a file.
Want this checklist in your inbox?
We'll send the whole New Jersey list, all 37 tasks, each with the rule its deadline runs on and the contract dates marked. One email, and no follow-ups unless you ask for them.
These are real statutory deadlines and they change. If something here is wrong or out of date, we'd genuinely rather hear it.
Not in New Jersey?
34 states are live — pick yours from the State list at the top of the page, or the links just above. Somewhere else? Tell us which state you work in and we'll email you when its checklist is up. No other email, and you can unsubscribe from the first one.
Your state
Your state
Email
Email
Stop re-typing this on every file
Upload your executed contract and ClosingDay builds this checklist for the file — dates already calculated, and every one of them re-shifts when the closing date moves. It reads the contract, so nothing gets typed twice.
This checklist is a working aid, not legal advice, and deadlines on your file are governed by your contract. Check every date against the executed agreement.