What causes delays with closing?

Your closing date can be pushed back (by days or weeks) if you encounter unexpected issues. Some things that might delay closing on a house include:

• Changes to your credit. If your credit score has been impacted by a significant change in income, making large purchases, or taking out other loans to affect your debt-to-income ratio (DTI), your credit may need to be re-evaluated by the lender, and this may delay closing.
• A low appraisal. If your appraisal comes in lower than the contracted sale price, you may need to renegotiate with the seller, which may delay closing.
• Title issues. If the seller of the home has unresolved liens, judgments, or ownership disputes on the home and these issues are uncovered during transfer of the house title, closing can be delayed.
• Home sale contingency. If your contract dictates that you can’t close on a new home until your previous home sells, your closing date may be delayed.