U.S. Mortgage Index

What should I do before, during, and after a mortgage closing?

Short answer

Before closing, review the and the other key papers as soon as you receive them. During closing, check each document for accuracy and ask about anything that is unclear. After closing, know when the first payment is due and update your address with the companies that send you bills.

Full explanation

The CFPB says the lender must deliver a Closing Disclosure you receive no later than three business days ahead of the signing, and you may request the rest of the packet at the same time. Compare closing-cost lines with the Loan Estimate, confirm whether increases stay within the limits the CFPB describes for some charges, and read the promissory note, mortgage, initial escrow disclosure, and — on a refinance — the notice of the right to cancel. Inspect the home and confirm agreed repairs. Arrange utilities before you move.

A Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure are not used for a reverse mortgage, a HELOC, a manufactured-housing or mobile-home loan that is not secured by real estate, or certain homebuyer-assistance subordinate loans. Those products use Truth-in-Lending disclosures, and a reverse mortgage also uses a Good Faith Estimate and a HUD-1 Settlement Statement.

At the table, review the papers again and ask questions. After closing, confirm how and when the first payment is made. File a change of address with banks, insurers, loan servicers, and other billers. If taxes and homeowners insurance are not collected in escrow, set money aside for those bills; property taxes can rise. If a closing problem is unresolved, discuss it with the lender. You can also submit a CFPB complaint or consult an attorney. A CFPB complaint is forwarded to the company and is not itself a finding of wrongdoing.

Sources reviewed

Last reviewed

September 10, 2026