The week-by-week anatomy of a 30-day escrow

A 30-day escrow looks tidy on paper — one line from executed contract to closing day. In practice, it's four distinct weeks, each with its own cluster of deadlines. Here's roughly how they break down on a typical residential purchase.

Week one: money down, clock started

• Earnest money delivered to escrow and receipted
• Inspection period opens — get the inspector scheduled fast
• Seller disclosures sent and reviewed
• Loan application submitted, if it hasn't been already

Week two: the busiest stretch

This is where most of the deadline pressure lives. The inspection response and objection deadline usually falls here, which means repair negotiations happen fast and under time pressure — right as the appraisal gets ordered and underwriting starts asking for conditions.

• Inspection objection / response deadline
• Appraisal ordered — and, often, back
• Loan conditions requested by underwriting
• HOA documents and resale certificate requested, if applicable

Week three: clearing conditions

• Appraisal contingency resolved
• Remaining loan conditions satisfied
• Title work finalized, survey ordered if needed
• Homeowners insurance bound

Week four: the finish line

• Clear-to-close issued by the lender
• Closing disclosure sent, with the required waiting period observed
• Final walkthrough
• Signing, funding, and recording

None of these deadlines are dramatic on their own. What derails a 30-day escrow is usually two or three of them landing in the same week with no one tracking the overlap. That's exactly the part a transaction coordinator is built for.