Home Buying, Done with Intention.
Intention is what keeps the speed of buying from rewriting the priorities you started with.
WHAT CHANGED IN 2024
The rules for working with a buyer's agent have changed.
In August 2024, the National Association of Realtors settled a federal lawsuit that reshaped how buyers and agents work together across the country. The shortest version: before you tour a home with an agent, you sign a written agreement with them. That agreement spells out what services the agent will provide, how we're compensated, and where that compensation is coming from. The handshake-and-go arrangements that defined buyer representation for decades are gone.
For the legal reference — the actual NAR policy text, the Pennsylvania statutes, and the New Jersey bulletins — see our Understanding Buyer Representation in PA and NJ page. Read it before you start the buying process.
Before you tour: how we work together.
Touring homes used to start with a phone call and a Saturday. It doesn't anymore. As of 2024, every buyer working with an agent signs a written agreement before the first showing — describing what services we provide, how we're compensated, and where that compensation comes from. The agreement isn't optional and it isn't a sales tactic. It's the new floor of how buyer representation works nationally.
What comes before the agreement is the agency-disclosure document — required at first contact in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, under different names, with the same purpose. We review it with you and answer your questions before you sign anything else. (See the next item for the specifics in your state.)
For the full sourced explanation of the 2024 changes and the laws behind them, see our Understanding Buyer Representation in PA and NJ page.
We cover both sides of the bridge — and the process differs on each side.
The Delaware River is more than a state line. It's the boundary between two real estate markets that run on different deadlines, with different paperwork, and a different set of professionals at the closing table. Most of what you'll read on this page is state-specific — pick the side you're buying on.
The buying process, step by step.
Select your state above to see the buying process for Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
The Consumer Notice and the Buyer Agency Contract.
Pennsylvania requires two separate documents at the start of working with a Realtor. They do different jobs and you should know the difference.
The first is the Consumer Notice — drafted by the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission and required at the first substantive real estate discussion. It is not a contract. It does not bind you to anything. It exists to explain the different ways a real estate licensee can work with you in Pennsylvania — as a buyer's agent, as a seller's agent, as a dual agent, as a designated agent, or as a transaction licensee. Different relationships carry different legal duties. The Notice lays them out so you can pick.
The second is the Buyer Agency Contract — the document that actually establishes the working relationship. It covers services, term, exclusivity, and compensation. This is the contract. The Consumer Notice is the disclosure.
Both documents are short. Neither should be signed before you understand what's in them.
The Consumer Information Statement and the Buyer Agency Agreement.
New Jersey requires two separate documents at the start of working with a Realtor. They do different jobs and you should know the difference.
The first is the Consumer Information Statement (CIS) — approved by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission and required at the first meeting, before any discussion of financial matters or motivation to buy. It is not a contract. It does not bind you to anything. It exists to explain the five business relationships a New Jersey real estate licensee can have with a consumer — seller's agent, buyer's agent, disclosed dual agent, designated agent, or transaction broker. Each relationship carries different legal duties. The CIS lays them out so you can pick.
The second is the Buyer Agency Agreement — the document that actually establishes the working relationship. It covers services, term, exclusivity, and compensation. This is the contract. The CIS is the disclosure.
Read both before you sign either.
Know your costs before you shop.
The price on the listing isn't what you're buying. You're buying a monthly payment, a tax bill, an insurance policy, an escrow, and a closing cost stack — all attached to a house. Most buyers learn this the hard way, somewhere around offer three.
Before we start looking at houses, we want you to know three numbers: what you can pay each month without stress, what cash you'll need to close, and where the gap is between the two. That conversation happens with a lender you trust — and if you don't have one, we'll introduce you to the lenders we work with who answer their phones, return calls within hours, and explain what's actually in your loan estimate.
What pre-approval gets you: a clear ceiling on price, a credible offer when you find the right house, and a baseline against which every later number gets measured.
Two things to understand about the monthly payment. Property taxes vary widely between Pennsylvania and New Jersey — and within each state, between municipalities — and they're folded into your monthly payment through escrow. A house at the same purchase price in Cherry Hill versus Haddon Township versus Wayne, PA has three different monthly payments. Homeowner's insurance is the other variable: condition of the home, location, claims history, and roof age all move the number.
We'll walk through all of it before you tour. The first house you fall in love with shouldn't be the moment you find out what you can actually afford.
Searching with the full picture in view.
A house listing shows you photographs and a price. It doesn't show you the school bus route, the commute on a Tuesday at 8am, the property tax trajectory of the township, the noise from the street at dinner time, or what the basement looks like after a heavy rain.
We help you see the things the listing leaves out. That includes:
- The neighborhood beyond the listing photos — what changes a few blocks in either direction
- Commute realities at the times you'll actually drive them
- Property condition signals that don't show up in staging
- The local tax picture and where rates have been moving
- Resale considerations — what features hold value in this area and which don't
- Lifestyle costs that follow the address, not the house itself: HOA fees, parking, utility patterns, education-related decisions, distance to the things your family does each week
None of this means rejecting a house. It means making the decision with the picture in focus instead of cropped to the listing photos.
The other thing we do is keep the original list visible. Most buyers start a search with non-negotiables — the school district, the yard, the garage, the commute — and most buyers, six houses in, start trading those things away because the search has worn them down. Part of our job is to remember the list out loud when you're tired. The house you close on should still hit the reasons you started looking in the first place.
The offer and the cost sheet.
In Pennsylvania, the offer is the contract. When you submit one, you're submitting an Agreement of Sale — the document that, once signed by both sides, governs the entire transaction. There's no separate “let's talk it through later” window. The terms you submit are the terms you'll close on, unless both parties agree to change them in writing.
That means the conversation about price, deposit, financing, inspection timeline, closing date, seller assist, and contingencies happens before you submit. We review the agreement with you and answer your questions before submission.
The other thing Pennsylvania law requires — and most buyer pages skip — is a written estimate of your costs before the Agreement of Sale is signed. The form is called Buyer's Estimated Costs , and it's required by Pennsylvania law as a good-faith estimate of reasonably foreseeable buyer costs at closing. We sit down with it before you commit to an offer. The numbers it covers:
- Purchase price and your deposit
- Estimated loan amount, interest rate, monthly principal and interest
- Property taxes and insurance
- Title costs, lender costs, prepaid items, escrow
- Pennsylvania realty transfer tax — 1% to the Commonwealth plus local municipal transfer tax on top
- Estimated cash to close
Two numbers worth flagging specifically. Pennsylvania's state realty transfer tax is 1%, but most municipalities add their own — the total varies meaningfully by where you're buying. In Philadelphia, the combined realty transfer tax is 4.578% (3.578% city plus 1% Commonwealth), typically split between buyer and seller. The other: Pennsylvania property tax billing doesn't follow the New Jersey rhythm. Philadelphia real estate taxes are due annually on March 31; most other PA counties and school districts bill on their own annual schedules. Your monthly escrow needs to reflect that.
Knowing these numbers before the offer changes how you write the offer.
Disclosures and inspections in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania requires sellers of most residential properties to provide a Seller's Property Disclosure Statement before the Agreement of Sale is executed. The document covers known defects, history of repairs, environmental issues, and major systems. The seller fills it out; the buyer reads it.
Two things to understand about the disclosure. First, it's the seller's account of what they know, not an independent assessment. A seller can only disclose what they're aware of, and “known” is a low bar. Second, it's a useful starting point for your inspection — not a substitute for one. The inspector finds what the seller didn't know to tell you, didn't remember, or never had reason to investigate.
After the Agreement of Sale is signed, you'll typically have an inspection period (the length is negotiated as part of the offer — usually 10 to 15 days). The standard home inspection covers the property itself — structure, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, appliances, and the visible condition of major systems. Termite (wood-destroying insect) and radon testing are typically offered as add-ons to the standard inspection — you choose whether to include them. We recommend asking your inspector what each test involves and what it costs before deciding.
The inspector reports what they found. You read the report.
When the inspection report comes back, you have options. You can accept the home as-is. You can negotiate repairs or credits with the seller. You can ask for documentation on items that need follow-up. Or, depending on how your contingencies are written, you can withdraw from the contract.
We help you read the report alongside what we saw at showings and what the disclosure said. We're not licensed inspectors and we don't pretend to be — but we've sat with a lot of inspection reports, and we can walk through what the inspector flagged, what the seller disclosed about it, and what your options are in the contract.
Once the inspection report is in hand, certain findings may warrant a follow-up specialist — a structural engineer for foundation concerns, a roofer for an aging roof, a sewer scope for older homes, an oil tank sweep for properties that may have had heating oil, or environmental testing for specific situations. We help you think through which follow-ups make sense based on what the report surfaced.
The decision is yours. Our job is to make sure you have the information to make it.
The offer and the contract.
When you're ready to make an offer in New Jersey, the document that captures it is the NJ REALTORS® Residential Sales Contract , commonly known as Form 118. It's the standard contract used across most of the state.
We prepare it. New Jersey allows Realtors to prepare certain residential sales contracts as long as the contract contains an attorney-review provision — Form 118 includes that provision by default. This is the framework established by the New Jersey Supreme Court that defines what licensees can and can't do on residential contracts.
What goes into the offer: price, deposit, financing terms, mortgage contingency, inspection timeline, closing date, seller concessions if any, and any other contingencies that fit your situation. We review the form with you and answer your questions before submission. The offer reflects both your situation and the market you're submitting into — neither one in isolation.
What we don't do: legal advice, contract rewrites that change legal terms, advocacy in legal disputes. That's the attorney's role. New Jersey's process is built around the assumption that an attorney will be involved — the next item explains how.
Attorney review.
Once both buyer and seller sign the contract — and both sides have received a copy of the fully executed agreement — New Jersey gives each side a three-business-day window to have an attorney review it. This is attorney review, and it's one of the most distinctive features of buying a home in New Jersey. No other state runs the process quite this way.
When the clock actually starts.
The three-business-day clock does not start at signing. It starts on the first business day after all parties have received a copy of the fully executed contract. This is set out in N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.2 . The distinction matters and is regularly misstated.
A practical example: if buyer and seller both sign on Thursday and the fully executed contract reaches both parties Thursday evening, Day 1 is Friday. Day 2 is Monday (weekends don't count). Day 3 is Tuesday. The window ends at the close of business on Tuesday.
Whether to use an attorney is your choice.
Attorney review is your right. Using an attorney is your choice. If you engage one, your attorney can review the contract, propose changes, or disapprove it entirely during the three-day window. If you don't engage one, the contract becomes binding as written when the three business days expire.
What can happen during attorney review.
- Each party's attorney (if engaged) reviews the contract on their client's behalf
- An attorney can propose changes — to terms, deadlines, contingencies, or anything else
- An attorney can disapprove the contract entirely, which terminates it
- If neither side sends notice of disapproval within the three business days, the contract becomes binding as written
The legal framework.
This framework comes from the New Jersey Supreme Court's 1983 decision approving the settlement in New Jersey State Bar Association v. New Jersey Association of Realtor Boards, 93 N.J. 470 (1983), modified, 94 N.J. 449 (1983) .
If you want a referral.
You can engage any attorney licensed in New Jersey. If you'd like a referral, we work with several real estate attorneys who handle residential transactions regularly and know the timing this process runs on. We don't pick the attorney for you — that's your decision.
Inspections and your options.
After attorney review concludes, the inspection period begins. The specific length is set by your contract — typically negotiated as part of the offer, and usually somewhere between 10 and 14 days from the end of attorney review.
The standard home inspection covers the property itself — structure, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, appliances, and the visible condition of major systems. Termite (wood-destroying insect) and radon testing are typically offered as add-ons to the standard inspection — you choose whether to include them. We recommend asking your inspector what each test involves and what it costs before deciding.
The inspector reports what they found. You read the report.
When the report comes back, you have options:
- Accept the home as is
- Request repairs or credits from the seller
- Ask for documentation on items that warrant follow-up
- Withdraw from the contract, depending on how your inspection contingency is written
We help you read the report alongside what we saw at showings and what the seller disclosed. We're not licensed inspectors — but we've sat with a lot of reports, and we can walk through what the inspector flagged, what the seller's disclosure said about it, and what your options are in the contract.
Once the inspection report is in hand, certain findings may warrant a follow-up specialist — a structural engineer for foundation concerns, a roofer for an aging roof, a sewer scope for older homes, an oil tank sweep for properties that may have had heating oil, or environmental testing for specific situations. We help you think through which follow-ups make sense based on what the report surfaced.
The decision is yours. Our job is to make sure you have the information to make it.
From contract to clear-to-close: the moving pieces.
Once the contract is final and the inspection period has resolved, the back half of the transaction begins. Several processes run in parallel from here, and they all have to land before closing can happen.
Mortgage processing.
Your lender moves your application from pre-approval to commitment. That involves verifying your income and assets again, ordering the appraisal, running underwriting, and issuing a commitment letter — the document that confirms the lender will fund the loan. Most contracts include a mortgage contingency deadline; missing it without an extension can put your deposit at risk.
Appraisal.
The lender orders an appraiser to value the home. The appraiser visits the property and submits an appraisal report. If the appraisal comes in at or above the purchase price, the lender moves forward. If it comes in low, there's a conversation to have — about renegotiating the price, the buyer bringing additional cash to close the gap, or, in some cases, walking away. We help you think through the options.
Title work.
A title company researches the property's ownership history, looks for liens or claims against the property, and issues title insurance for both the lender and (optionally) the buyer. Most issues found in title work are resolvable; some take time.
Homeowner's insurance.
You'll need a binder in place before closing. Quotes vary based on the home's condition, location, claims history, and roof age. Start this earlier than you think — insurance has gotten harder to bind quickly in certain situations, and lenders won't fund without proof of coverage.
Final walkthrough preparation.
As closing approaches, we coordinate the walkthrough, confirm that any seller obligations (agreed repairs, included items) are complete, and make sure the property is in the condition the contract requires.
We track all of these in parallel and tell you what's outstanding, what's at risk, and what needs your attention. Most transactions have at least one moment where something needs to move faster than the default pace. Knowing when that moment is coming is the difference between closing on time and closing late.
The walkthrough and the table.
Before closing, we walk the property with you one more time. The purpose is straightforward: confirm the home is in the condition the contract requires, agreed-upon repairs are complete, included items are still there, and nothing significant has changed since the inspection. If something is wrong, we work through it before you sit down at the closing table.
Then closing itself.
The closing room varies. Depending on the transaction, closing might take place at the title company, the buyer's attorney's office, the lender's office, or remotely with a mobile notary. The buyer, seller, lender's representative, attorneys (if engaged), and agents may be present in any combination. Documents are signed. Funds are transferred. Keys change hands. Most buyers are in and out in 60 to 90 minutes.
After closing, the deed is recorded with the county. The home is officially yours.
That's where this page ends and the rest of your life begins.
Frequently asked.
Select your state above to see the frequently asked questions for Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
What is radon?
Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally when uranium in soil and rock breaks down. It seeps up from the ground and can collect inside homes — usually in basements and lower levels — at concentrations high enough to be harmful over long-term exposure.
The EPA classifies radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States , after smoking. Most homes have some level of radon; the question is whether the level in a specific home is high enough to warrant action.
The EPA's action threshold is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Homes that test at or above that level are recommended for mitigation. Levels between 2 and 4 pCi/L are worth considering for mitigation depending on the situation.
Radon levels vary widely by location, geology, and individual home construction. Two houses on the same street can test very differently. Pennsylvania and New Jersey both have areas with elevated radon potential — radon doesn't recognize state lines.
If you want to include a radon test as part of your inspection, your home inspector typically offers it as an add-on. The test runs for a minimum of 48 hours with the home in closed-house conditions and produces a numeric result you can act on.
If a test comes back elevated, mitigation is a known, contained problem. Most radon mitigation systems involve a sub-slab depressurization setup — a fan and pipe system that vents soil gases to the outside before they enter the home. Cost varies by home but typically falls in a defined range, and the work is done by licensed radon mitigation contractors.
For more on radon testing, mitigation, and health effects, the EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon is the authoritative resource.
What is title, and what does a title company do?
Title is the legal right to own a property. When you buy a home, you're buying its title — the formal record of ownership that gets recorded with the county once the transaction closes.
A title company does two main things in a typical purchase.
Title search.
They research the property's ownership history, going back years or decades, looking for liens, judgments, easements, boundary disputes, unpaid taxes, or any other claim that could complicate or invalidate your ownership. Most homes have at least minor items to clear up; some have more significant ones. The title search is what surfaces them.
Title insurance.
Once the title is clear, the title company issues two insurance policies — one for the lender (required, paid by the buyer) and one for the owner (optional, also typically paid by the buyer). Lender's title insurance protects the bank's stake in the loan. Owner's title insurance protects your ownership against undiscovered issues that surface after closing — a missed lien, a forged signature in an old deed, an unknown heir with a claim. These issues are rare, but the consequences of one without insurance can be severe.
The title company we work with is One Real Title . They offer a free title quote calculator on their site — you enter the property location, transaction type, sales price, and loan amount, and they generate an estimate of title costs for that specific transaction. It's a useful tool for the cost conversation before you sign a contract.
A note on the relationship: One Real Title is part of the same Real Brokerage family our team operates within. You are not required to use them. You can choose any title company licensed in your state. We work with One Real Title because their technology and process align with how our team coordinates transactions. The choice is yours.
What is Pennsylvania's Seller's Property Disclosure Statement?
Pennsylvania requires sellers of most residential properties to provide a Seller's Property Disclosure Statement to the buyer before the Agreement of Sale is signed. The requirement comes from the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (RESDL), 68 Pa.C.S. §§ 7301–7315 , and the form's contents are set by the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission at 49 Pa. Code § 35.335a .
What the form asks about.
The disclosure runs several pages and covers the property's condition — roof age and history, structural elements, basement and moisture issues, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, hazardous substances including radon and lead-based paint, stormwater management, alterations made without permits, and known violations of federal, state, or local laws affecting the property. Sellers are required to disclose any known material defects — defined by statute as conditions that could have a significant adverse impact on the property's value or pose an unreasonable risk to people on the property.
What it doesn't cover.
The disclosure is the seller's account of what they actually know. Sellers aren't required to investigate, hire inspectors, or research the property's history to fill it out. “Known” is the operative word — items a seller never had reason to notice, never investigated, or doesn't remember don't appear on the form. That's why the disclosure isn't a substitute for your own inspection.
Statutory exceptions.
Some transfers are exempt from the disclosure requirement under 68 Pa.C.S. § 7303 . The most common exemptions in residential transactions include transfers by a fiduciary administering a deceased person's estate, transfers to a spouse or lineal heir, court-ordered transfers, foreclosure sales, and certain new-construction transactions where the buyer receives a builder's warranty and the dwelling has a certificate of occupancy. If a seller declines to provide the disclosure citing an exemption, the exemption needs to actually apply — many transactions assumed to be exempt aren't.
If a defect surfaces after closing.
A buyer who discovers after closing that the seller knowingly concealed or misrepresented a known material defect has potential remedies under Pennsylvania law. The statute of limitations on a RESDL claim is two years from the date of settlement ( 68 Pa.C.S. § 7311 ). This is legal territory and not something we advise on — but the framework exists, and it's part of what makes the disclosure obligation meaningful.
How does Philadelphia's transfer tax work?
Pennsylvania charges a state realty transfer tax of 1% on the value of residential real estate transferred. Most municipalities add their own local transfer tax on top of the state's 1%, so the total varies meaningfully by where you're buying.
Philadelphia is the highest in the region.
The City of Philadelphia charges a 3.578% city transfer tax on top of the 1% Commonwealth tax — for a combined total of 4.578% on a typical Philadelphia residential transaction.
Who pays.
By long-standing local custom, the 4.578% is typically split equally between buyer and seller — each pays 2.289%. This is custom, not statute. The contract can allocate the tax differently if the parties agree, but the 50/50 split is the standard starting point in Philadelphia transactions.
What it means in practice.
On a $400,000 Philadelphia home, the total transfer tax is $18,312. Under the standard split, the buyer pays $9,156 and the seller pays $9,156. This shows up on the closing disclosure and is part of your cash-to-close calculation — which is exactly why the Buyer's Estimated Costs form gets walked through before the Agreement of Sale is signed.
Outside Philadelphia.
Suburban Pennsylvania municipalities add their own transfer taxes on top of the 1% state, but at much lower rates — typically 1% to 2% combined local and school district. Total transfer tax in most suburban PA transactions runs in the 2% range, again typically split between buyer and seller.
If you're buying in Philadelphia, the transfer tax is one of the larger line items on your closing disclosure. If you're buying in the suburbs, it's still meaningful but considerably smaller. Either way, knowing the number before you write the offer is what keeps it from being a surprise.
Do I need a real estate attorney in Pennsylvania?
No. Pennsylvania doesn't require buyers (or sellers) to use an attorney for a typical residential real estate transaction. The Agreement of Sale is prepared by a licensed Realtor using a standard form, and most PA closings are handled by a title company. Buyers regularly complete the entire transaction — from offer through closing — without engaging an attorney at any point.
When buyers do hire one anyway.
Some buyers choose to involve an attorney for transactions where the stakes or complexity warrant it. Common situations include:
- The property has unusual title issues, easements, or boundary disputes
- The transaction involves an estate sale, divorce, or court-ordered transfer
- The buyer is purchasing through an LLC or trust
- The property is unusual or expensive enough that the buyer wants a legal review of the contract before signing
- The buyer is from a state where attorneys are standard (like New Jersey or New York) and wants the same comfort in PA
If you want a real estate attorney involved, you can engage one at any point. The most useful moments are before signing the Agreement of Sale and during the inspection-and-negotiation period.
What's different from New Jersey.
Pennsylvania has no equivalent to New Jersey's three-day attorney review window. Once both parties sign the Agreement of Sale in PA, the contract is binding immediately, subject to the inspection, mortgage, and other contingencies built into the agreement itself. There's no built-in pause for legal review. That's the structural difference buyers crossing the river should understand.
Our role and an attorney's role.
We prepare the Agreement of Sale, answer your questions about the form, and coordinate the transaction. Questions about legal effect, contract interpretation, or disputes are an attorney's role. We can refer you to attorneys who regularly handle PA residential real estate if you'd like.
What does a New Jersey seller have to disclose?
As of March 20, 2024, New Jersey requires sellers of all residential, commercial, and industrial real property to provide a Property Condition Disclosure Statement to the buyer before the buyer becomes contractually obligated. This requirement comes from the Consumer Protection Enhancement Act and applies to most residential transactions — including bank-owned properties and estate sales, with limited exceptions.
What the form covers.
The Property Condition Disclosure Statement is issued by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. It runs multiple pages and asks the seller about the condition of the property — structural elements, basement and moisture, roof, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, appliances, environmental concerns, and the history of repairs and improvements.
Flood disclosure specifically.
The form's flood-related disclosures appear at questions 109–117 and are required by the Flood Disclosure Law , which took effect alongside the broader disclosure expansion. Sellers must disclose what they actually know about the property's flood history, the property's location in a FEMA Special or Moderate Risk Flood Hazard Area, and whether they carry or have carried flood insurance.
The common-law layer.
Beyond the statutory form, New Jersey sellers have a long-standing common-law obligation to disclose known latent defects — conditions that a buyer wouldn't reasonably discover through observation but that materially affect the property's value or pose safety risks. This duty comes from two NJ Supreme Court cases:
- Weintraub v. Krobatsch, 64 N.J. 445 (1974) — established that a seller can't remain silent about a known defect a buyer wouldn't see
- Strawn v. Canuso, 140 N.J. 43 (1995) — extended the duty to include certain off-site conditions that materially affect property value
A real estate broker who knowingly conceals a material defect can also face liability under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (N.J.S.A. 56:8-1 et seq.) .
What this means as a buyer.
The disclosure form is a useful starting point, and New Jersey law treats it seriously. But it's still only what the seller (and their agent) actually knew. The form doesn't substitute for your inspection — it sets a baseline for what you're walking into, and your inspection surfaces what the seller didn't know to tell you.
What happens if I don't engage an attorney during attorney review?
If neither side engages an attorney, the contract becomes binding as written at the end of the three-business-day attorney review window. Attorney review is your right, not your obligation — and the framework treats inaction as acceptance. Three business days after both parties receive the fully executed contract, if no notice of disapproval has been sent, the contract is final.
What that means in practice.
The contract you signed — the NJ REALTORS® Residential Sales Contract (Form 118) — becomes the governing document for the rest of the transaction, exactly as written. Any contingencies built into the form (inspection, mortgage, appraisal) still apply, and the standard timelines run from there. What you don't have is the ability to modify the contract terms after the three days expire, since that pathway runs through an attorney's disapproval letter during the review window.
It's your decision.
Buyers and sellers regularly choose not to engage an attorney for residential transactions, and the contract proceeds normally. Buyers who do choose to engage one typically do so for the same reasons listed in any standard real estate transaction — complexity, unusual terms, comfort with legal review, or specific concerns about the property. The choice is yours, and it doesn't change the timeline either way.
If you change your mind partway through.
You can engage an attorney at any point in the transaction — not just during the three-day window. Attorneys handle a range of post-attorney-review work, including resolving issues that surface during inspection, addressing title questions, and representing you at closing. The three-day window is specifically for contract review and modification; attorney involvement outside that window addresses different parts of the process.
How long does a typical NJ closing take from offer to keys?
In our experience across South Jersey transactions, most New Jersey residential closings happen 30 to 45 days from contract signing, depending on the financing.
By financing type.
- Conventional financing: 30 to 45 days is typical
- FHA financing: 30 to 45 days, with the upper end more common because of additional appraisal and underwriting requirements
- VA financing: Can run up to 60 days. Rare in our market, but it happens — VA appraisals and underwriting timelines run longer than conventional or FHA
- Cash transactions: Faster, typically 21 to 30 days, since there's no mortgage processing or lender-ordered appraisal
Why the spread.
The closing date isn't a single deadline — it's the result of several parallel processes landing on the same day:
- Three-business-day attorney review window from receipt of the fully executed contract (per N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.2 )
- Inspection period of typically 10 to 14 days, set by the contract
- Mortgage underwriting, appraisal, and final commitment from your lender
- Title search, lien clearance, and title insurance issuance
- Homeowner's insurance binder in place
- Final walkthrough scheduling
Most of these run in parallel. The transaction closes when the slowest piece is ready, not when each piece finishes in sequence.
What pushes a transaction past the typical range.
- Attorney review negotiations that take longer than the three-day minimum
- Inspection findings that require seller response and renegotiation
- Appraisal coming in low, requiring renegotiation or additional buyer contribution
- Mortgage underwriting requests for additional documentation
- Title issues — open liens, judgments, or unrecorded items requiring resolution
- Scheduling conflicts among the parties at closing
We coordinate across the parties, track each deadline, and tell you what's at risk and when.
Every decision should move you forward.
Your situation determines what “forward” actually means. Pick the path that fits where you are.
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