When selling a house in Nassau County, New York state, you will be required to gather these documents or be required to sign them to make sure the sale is completed, and the buyer takes possession of the house:

1. Deed– This is the legal document shows you are the present owner of the house and is used to transfer ownership to the buyer. It must be signed by you and the buyer, then recorded at the deeds office. Typically, the title or escrow agent is typically responsible for recording a deed after a home closing.  In Nassau County, New York, the Nassau County Clerk’s office is where deeds are recorded. If you are unable to find your current deed you can order a copy here.

2. Seller Driven Real Estate Appraisal– The seller driven real estate appraisal should be done by a state licensed appraiser and is an unbiased assessment of your home’s value. It will help you, the homeowner, understand the true worth of your house as well as can help potential buyers and lenders understand the true unbiased worth of your house.

3. Pre-Sale Title report – It is a good idea, but not absolutely necessary, to have a title report done. This report will show any liens, easements, or encroachments on the property some of which you might not be even aware of. Possible liens are outstanding mortgages, parking violations, fines imposed by the town or municipality, or liens filed by companies or individuals that the homeowner has outstanding debts with. All liens must be paid off or satisfied before the house can be sold.

4. Sales Contract or Real Estate Purchase Agreement– this is a legally binding document outlining all the details of the agreement between seller and buyer. It includes but not limited to the following items:- Parties: The names and contact information of the buyers and sellers- Property: The property’s address, legal description, and other details- Price: The agreed-upon price, deposits, and other costs- Financing: How the buyer will pay for the property, such as a mortgage or assuming the seller’s mortgage- Closing: The closing date, who pays closing costs, and the names of the escrow and closing agents- Earnest money: The amount of money the buyer pays as a security deposit- Fixtures and appliances: Which items will be included in the sale- Title insurance: Whether the buyer or seller will pay for title insurance- Property taxes: Information about property taxes- Contingencies: A clause that allows the seller to back out of the deal if certain conditions aren’t met, such as the buyer not securing a mortgage by a certain date,
   
   – Disclosures: Information about the property’s condition

5. Homeowners insurance– You might need to provide proof of your insurance and a list of claims since you bought the home.

6. Mortgage payoff statement– If there is any outstanding mortgage on your house you will need this mortgage payoff statement. Your lender can provide this document, which shows how much you’ll need to pay off your mortgage at closing.  This is usually dealt with by the attorney that is representing you.

7. Mortgage Satisfaction Document – A mortgage satisfaction is a document confirming a mortgage has been paid off and details the provisions for the transfer of collateral title rights. In some instance there might have been more than one mortgage on the house. Any mortgage that are fully paid off during the time of the present homeownership, a mortgage satisfaction document is needed as a proof this mortgage has been satisfied/paid off.

8. Closing Statement or Closing Disclosure– This statement gives a summary of the transaction, listing the financial settlement between buyer and seller. This includes but not limited to names and contact information of main parties involved, sale price, mortgage payoff amount, other liens payoff amount, closing costs, transfer taxes, recording fees, liens on house that are paid off, transfer taxes, payments to attorneys, real estate salespersons’ compensations. A copy of the closing statement is usually given at the closing of the house to both seller and buyer.

Are you thinking of selling your home and need expert advice? Please feel free to reach out to me and I will be more than happy to make the process as seamless as possible!