Learning Library · Selling 101 · lesson 4
Under contract: keeping the deal alive to closing
5 min read
Inspections from the seller's chair, the deadlines that protect you, and what you'll pay at the table.
The inspection response
Expect a repair request — nearly every deal has one. Respond to the substance, not the length: health, safety, and major systems deserve engagement; cosmetic padding deserves a polite decline. A credit at closing is often cleaner than managing contractors on a deadline. Remember the buyer's alternative to agreement is termination, so "no to everything" is a bet on their commitment.
Your side of the deadlines
The agreement's clock binds you too: providing documents, honoring access for inspections and appraisal, completing agreed repairs with receipts, and delivering the property in the promised condition at walk-through. A tidy paper trail here prevents the last-48-hours drama that gives closings a bad name.
What selling costs at the table
Typical Pennsylvania seller costs: agreed commission, the customary half of transfer tax (1% in most Montgomery County towns, more in Philadelphia), your remaining mortgage payoff, prorated taxes, and modest settlement fees. Our seller net sheet calculator turns your numbers into an estimated walk-away figure in about a minute.
Quick answers
When do I get paid?
At settlement — the title company disburses your proceeds, typically by wire the same day, after payoffs and costs clear.
Educational content only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Program details, rates, and tax figures change; verify current specifics before relying on them. The Woods Team · Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® · Equal Housing Opportunity.