What Happens After a Seller Accepts an Offer in DC, Maryland, or Virginia?
What happens after a seller accepts an offer?
Once both sides sign, the contract is ratified and a clock starts. Over the next 21 to 30 days you'll move through title work, then the inspection, appraisal, and financing contingencies, each on a deadline written into your contract, and a final walkthrough before settlement.
Most sellers I work with are surprised by how fast the first week moves. You spend weeks getting the house ready, you get an offer, you sign — and then three things start happening at once.
The sequence is essentially the same whether you're selling in Wesley Heights, Bethesda, or Alexandria. A few details change at the state line, and I'll flag those as we go.
Ratification: The Contract Is Binding
Ratification is the moment the signed contract becomes real. Both sides have signed, all the back-and-forth is resolved, and you have a deal.
Within a day or two, the file goes to a title company. They start searching the property's ownership history for liens, judgments, easements — anything that could cloud the title. This runs quietly in the background, but it has to start right away, because title problems take time to untangle.
If your buyer is financing, their lender starts underwriting at the same time.
What to do in the first few days:
- Note which title company the buyer selected, and make sure their deposit goes in on time
- Expect the title company to reach out for your lender and loan account information so they can order your payoff
- Order your HOA or condo association documents from the association — you can't assemble these yourself, and associations often take weeks to produce them
- Sit down with your agent and go through every deadline in the contract
- Get ready for inspections — they're usually scheduled within the first week
The association documents are the one item I'd move even earlier. If your home is in a condo or an HOA, order them before we list.
Part of that process is an inspection by the association, and if they find a violation, it goes into the package your buyer reads. Order early and you have time to fix it first. Associations will usually accept either a reinspection or photos showing the work was done. Order after you're under contract and a violation you didn't know about becomes a problem in the middle of your timeline, on someone else's schedule.
Those deadlines are the part people underestimate. They're written into your contract, and missing one has real consequences.
Disclosures Come First, Not After
Here's the piece that trips sellers up, and it's worth being clear about: disclosures are handled before you go under contract, not after.
In all three jurisdictions, you sign and deliver your disclosure paperwork before the buyer signs the contract. If it goes out late, the buyer gets a window to walk away and take their deposit with them. That's why I have my sellers complete this when we're preparing the listing, not when an offer lands.
What that looks like where you're selling:
Washington DC. You complete an actual disclosure describing the condition of the home as you know it. Estate sales are exempt, along with a handful of other situations like foreclosures and court-ordered transfers.
Maryland. You choose between two forms, and they do different things. The disclosure is a statement of what you actually know about the condition of the home. For most sellers that means confirming they aren't aware of problems, and listing anything they are aware of.
The disclaimer means you're not completing that condition report — you're making no representations about the condition either way. It doesn't hand you a pass, and it doesn't limit your buyer. You still have to disclose known latent defects, meaning serious problems a buyer wouldn't spot on a walkthrough. Your buyer still gets their inspection, and they can still come back with repair requests.
Virginia. Virginia is a disclaimer state. The form you sign doesn't describe your home at all — it notifies the buyer that the disclosures are posted on the Virginia Real Estate Board's website and tells them to do their own due diligence. That doesn't mean you can hide a known problem. Virginia sellers and their agents still have a duty not to conceal material defects.
One DC-specific note: if your home has a tenant in it, the tenant has a right to purchase that has to be cleared before you can get to settlement. Handle it early.
Inspections and the Appraisal
Inspections
The buyer's home inspection is usually the first thing on the calendar after ratification. Depending on the contract, that might include a general inspection, radon, a sewer scope, or something specific to the property. Each one has its own deadline.
Afterward, the buyer may ask for repairs, a credit, or a price reduction. This is the most common place a smooth deal gets complicated.
I don't give a client my recommendation on repair requests until I've read the report and walked the house again myself. The written report doesn't always reflect what's actually driving the buyer's reaction.
Appraisal
If your buyer is financing, the lender orders an appraisal — usually in the first week or two. This is the first hard checkpoint, because the appraisal determines whether the financing can go through as written.
Appraise at or above the contract price and you move forward. Come in low and you're back at the table, deciding between a price adjustment, the buyer covering the gap, or somewhere in between.
In the price range I work in, buyers often use jumbo financing, which can mean a longer underwriting timeline. Worth knowing when you're planning your move.
What Changes at the State Line
| Washington DC | Maryland | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Disclosure required unless exempt | Disclosure or disclaimer, seller's choice | Disclaimer only |
| Who handles settlement | Title company | Title company or attorney | Title company or settlement agent |
| When the deed is recorded | At closing, with the DC Recorder of Deeds | At closing, at the county level | After settlement, with the local circuit court clerk |
| Transfer and recordation taxes | Seller pays transfer, buyer pays recordation | State and county taxes both apply | Grantor's tax, plus a regional fee in Arlington, Alexandria, and McLean |
A few things worth knowing:
In DC, transfer and recordation taxes are both due at closing. The seller pays the transfer tax and the buyer pays the recordation tax. That's the split, and it's what you should expect to see on your settlement statement.
In Maryland, you'll see both a state and a county line on your settlement statement. If you're selling in Bethesda or Chevy Chase, the county portion is significant. And if you no longer live in Maryland, the state withholds a percentage of your proceeds at settlement. Ask your settlement officer about this early — it's the single most common surprise on a Maryland settlement statement.
In Virginia, the deed is recorded after settlement rather than at it. There's a short gap between signing and the deed showing up in the public record. Your title company handles it.
Contingencies, Walkthrough, and Settlement
Clearing contingencies
Most contracts include financing, appraisal, and inspection contingencies. Each has a date by which the buyer either satisfies it or can walk.
Track those dates closely. Once contingencies are released in writing, the buyer's ability to back out without losing their deposit narrows considerably.
The three things that still kill deals after ratification: a low appraisal, a financing denial, and an inspection result the buyer can't get past.
Final walkthrough
The buyer walks the home the day before or the morning of settlement to confirm nothing has changed, negotiated repairs were done, and everything that's supposed to convey is still there. This isn't a contingency — it's a step the contract already provides for, and the timing comes from the contract itself.
Your job is simple: leave the house in the condition you agreed to. Everything included stays, everything excluded goes. No gray areas.
Settlement
You sign, the buyer's funds are wired, and ownership transfers.
Before settlement day, your title company sends a statement showing exactly what you'll net and what's coming out. Read it carefully with your agent ahead of time. If something looks wrong, that's the moment to ask — not when you're sitting at the table with a pen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to close after ratification?
Usually 21 to 30 days for a financed buyer, and often less for cash. Jumbo financing can run longer. Your actual deadlines are written into your contract, not set by a general rule.
Is a seller disclosure required in DC, Maryland, and Virginia?
All three require a form, but they're not the same form and they don't do the same thing. DC requires an actual disclosure of the home's condition unless you're exempt, like an estate sale. Maryland lets you choose between a disclosure and a disclaimer. Virginia is a disclaimer only. In every case, it goes to the buyer before the contract is signed.
When does the disclosure have to be delivered?
Before ratification, everywhere. Deliver it late and the buyer gets a short window to cancel and recover their deposit. That's why this gets handled when the listing is prepared.
Who chooses the title company?
The buyer does. That's the buyer's right, and it's one of the terms they set when they write the offer. As the seller, you can suggest a company you've worked with, especially one with real experience in your jurisdiction, but the decision isn't yours to make.
Knowing the sequence takes most of the anxiety out of it. If you're getting ready to sell in Upper Northwest DC, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Arlington, Alexandria, or McLean, I'm happy to walk through what this looks like for your specific home and timeline.
Call or text me directly at 202.536.4043, or visit sherinemonir.com to get started. Sherine is here whenever you're ready.
About Sherine Monir
Sherine Monir is a Realtor with Compass and also a licensed Interior Designer in DC, leading the Sherine Monir Group across Upper Northwest DC, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Arlington, Alexandria, and McLean since 2013. Her design credentials (NCIDQ, CID, ASID) bring a different eye to how homes are prepared, presented, and priced.
Compass Real Estate · 202.536.4043 · sherinemonir.com
Equal Housing Opportunity. Sherine Monir is licensed in DC, Maryland, and Virginia and is affiliated with Compass, a licensed real estate broker (licensed as "compass real estate" in DC and as "Compass" in Virginia and Maryland). This article is general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your specific costs, obligations, and deadlines with your attorney, tax advisor, lender, or settlement officer. Broker fees and commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law; no standard or typical rate exists. Any compensation offered to a buyer's agent is optional and separately negotiable.
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