Iowa Contract-to-Close Checklist

Phase 1 · Offer accepted (days 0–3)

The window where missed paperwork turns into missed deadlines later.

• Confirm every signature and initial on the accepted purchase agreement, including all addendaAn unsigned addendum is the single most common reason a file gets kicked back at closing.
• Deliver earnest money and get a written receiptNote the delivery deadline stated in the contract, not the day you got around to it.
• Write every contract date into one calendar: inspection, financing, appraisal, abstract delivery, possession, closingCount from the acceptance date. Business days and calendar days are not the same thing.
• Send the executed contract to the lender, the closing agent, and the attorney examining title
• Confirm in writing who is ordering the abstract continuation, and whenIowaIowa purchase agreements typically make this the seller's expense. Naming an owner on day one prevents the week-before-closing scramble.
• Send both parties a plain-language summary of what happens next and when

Phase 2 · Inspections and repairs

Everything here is deadline-driven and written notice usually controls.

• Schedule the general inspection with room to spare before the deadline
• Order specialty inspections if warranted: radon, septic, well water, sewer scope, pest, roofRadon matters more in Iowa than in most states. Septic and private wells are common outside city limits and both feed the closing paperwork later.
• Deliver any inspection response or termination notice in writing before the period expiresUnder a standard Iowa purchase agreement, staying silent past the inspection deadline generally means the buyer is deemed satisfied. Silence is a decision.
• Get the repair agreement in writing, whether it is a repair, a price change, or a closing credit
• Collect paid receipts and any warranties for completed repairs before the final walkthrough
• If the property has a private well or septic system, start the county compliance paperwork nowIowaWell and septic status has to be disclosed at recording. Starting it here rather than at closing avoids a delay you cannot fix in a day.

Phase 3 · Financing and appraisal

The lender's calendar is not your calendar. Ask, do not assume.

• Confirm the loan application is complete and get the lender's own milestone dates in writing
• Confirm the appraisal is ordered and note the expected delivery date
• If the appraisal comes in low, document the chosen path: renegotiate, buyer covers the gap, or terminate under the contract
• Verify the financing contingency deadline against the lender's realistic clear-to-close dateIf the lender's date is later than the contract's, ask for a written extension now rather than the day the contingency lapses.
• Remind the buyer in writing: no new credit, no large deposits, no job changes before closing
• Confirm the homeowner's insurance binder is issued and sent to the lender

Phase 4 · Title, abstract and the Iowa paperwork

The part national checklists get wrong. Give it real calendar time.

• Confirm the abstract of title has been located and sent for continuationIowaIn Iowa the abstract is a physical, cumulative history of the property that gets updated each time it sells. Sellers routinely cannot find theirs. Finding out in week one is inconvenient; finding out in the last week is a delayed closing.
• Confirm the continued abstract reaches the examining attorney by the contract deadlineIowaStandard Iowa language requires the seller to deliver the abstract continued to within a set number of days of closing. Work backward from closing and put that date on the calendar.
• Get the preliminary title opinion and read the objectionsIowaThe attorney examines the abstract and issues an opinion. Old liens, easements, estate gaps and name mismatches surface here and each one takes time to cure.
• Assign an owner and a due date to every title objectionCuring a defect usually needs a third party such as a lender's release or a court filing, and none of them move fast.
• Confirm whether an Iowa Title Guaranty certificate is being issued and who is paying for itIowaIowa Title Guaranty is a state program that issues a certificate on top of the attorney's opinion. Most lenders require one. Confirm early rather than discovering the fee on the settlement statement.
• Confirm the survey question is answered if there is any boundary, fence or access uncertainty
• Confirm the Groundwater Hazard Statement is preparedIowaIowa Code section 558.69 requires this to be filed with the county recorder alongside the Declaration of Value. It covers wells, disposal sites, underground storage tanks, hazardous waste and known private burial sites. It is a recording requirement, not optional paperwork.
• Confirm the Declaration of Value is prepared and the transfer tax is calculatedIowaFiled with the recorder under Iowa Code chapter 428A. Iowa's transfer tax runs $0.80 per $500 of consideration with the first $500 exempt. Traditionally a seller cost, but the contract controls.
• Order payoff statements for every mortgage, HELOC, judgment and tax lien on the property

Phase 5 · Closing week

Nothing new should appear this week. If it does, something upstream was skipped.

• Confirm the closing time, location and who is attending, including any remote or mail-away signer
• Review the draft settlement statement line by line against the contract and the commission agreementCheck prorated property taxes carefully. Iowa's tax proration is a frequent source of last-minute disagreement.
• Confirm the buyer has wiring instructions verified by phone using a number they already hadWire fraud in real estate closings is targeted and convincing. Never trust wiring instructions that arrive by email alone.
• Do the final walkthrough after the seller has moved out, with repair receipts in hand
• Confirm utilities are transferred effective the possession date
• Confirm keys, garage remotes, gate codes, appliance manuals and any alarm codes are accounted for
• Confirm the deed, Groundwater Hazard Statement and Declaration of Value are recorded, and the final title opinion is issuedIowaClosing is not finished at signature. It is finished at recording, and the attorney's final opinion confirms the buyer took clear title.
• Archive the complete file: contract, addenda, disclosures, inspection reports, title opinion, settlement statement, recorded documentsIowa brokers have record-retention obligations. Reconstructing a file two years later from three inboxes and a phone is not a plan.

This checklist is a practical planning tool for real estate professionals and their clients. It is not legal, tax or title advice, and it is not a substitute for the specific deadlines written into your purchase agreement, which always control. Statutory references are current as of 2026: the groundwater hazard statement requirement is at Iowa Code section 558.69, the declaration of value and real estate transfer tax at Iowa Code chapter 428A, and Iowa Title Guaranty is administered by the Iowa Finance Authority under Iowa Code section 16.91. Abstract continuation and title examination deadlines vary by contract form and by county practice. Confirm every deadline, fee and filing requirement with the closing attorney, title company and county recorder handling your transaction. © 2026 Real Deal Pro. Built in Iowa for Iowa agents and their clients.