What happens after you accept an offer on your home in Westcliffe, Colorado?
Once you accept an offer, the clock starts on a series of contract deadlines — earnest money deposit, inspection, title review, appraisal, and loan approval — that typically run 30 to 45 days until closing. Each deadline gives the buyer a window to raise concerns or walk away, so understanding what’s coming next helps you avoid surprises and keep the sale on track.
By Kayla Brady | September 28, 2026
Accepting an offer feels like the finish line, but it’s really the start of the most detail-heavy part of the transaction. Here’s what actually happens between acceptance and closing day, and where sellers most often get caught off guard.
Day 0 to 5: Earnest Money and Inspection Scheduling
The buyer typically deposits earnest money within a few days of acceptance — this shows good faith and gets held by the title company. Around the same time, the buyer’s inspector will usually reach out to schedule a walkthrough of the property.
For rural Custer County properties, this is also when specialty inspections get scheduled: septic inspections, well yield and water quality tests, and sometimes a survey. As the seller, being available and responsive here keeps the timeline moving — delays in scheduling access to the property can push everything else back.
Days 5 to 14: The Inspection Objection Period
This is usually the highest-stakes window in the whole process. The buyer’s inspection objection deadline typically falls 7 to 14 days after acceptance, and this is when you’ll find out if the buyer has concerns about the property’s condition.
If issues come up, the buyer submits a written inspection objection, and you’ll have a resolution deadline — usually a few days later — to agree on repairs, a credit, or a price adjustment. If you can’t reach agreement, the contract can terminate and the buyer gets their earnest money back.
This is exactly why a thorough, honest disclosure matters so much before you ever get to this point — surprises here are far more disruptive than facts the buyer already knew going in.
Concurrent: Title Review
While inspections are happening, the title company is running a title search and preparing a title commitment. This document lists any liens, easements, or other exceptions attached to the property. The buyer has their own deadline to review and object to anything unclear or concerning in the title commitment — and if you have any known easements, boundary questions, or liens, this is where they surface if they weren’t already part of your disclosure.
Days 21 to 30: Appraisal and Loan Approval
If the buyer is financing the purchase, their lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home supports the loan amount. If the appraisal comes back lower than the contract price, the buyer typically has the right to renegotiate or, in some cases, walk away — this is one of the more common places a deal can get renegotiated late in the process.
Around the same window, the buyer’s loan moves through underwriting toward final approval. As the seller, there’s not much for you to do here directly, but it’s worth staying in communication with your agent about how financing is progressing, since a loan falling through this late is one of the more disruptive things that can happen to a closing timeline.
Days 27 to 30 (or your specific closing date): Final Walkthrough and Closing
Shortly before closing — often 24 to 72 hours prior — the buyer does a final walkthrough to confirm the property’s condition matches what was agreed upon, especially if repairs were negotiated during the inspection period.
At closing, you’ll sign the deed and closing documents, the title company disburses funds, and ownership officially transfers. In Colorado, there’s no attorney requirement at closing for most transactions — the title company typically handles the closing process.
What Sellers Can Do to Keep Things on Track
- Respond quickly to inspection and showing access requests — delays compound across the whole timeline
- Have your disclosure genuinely thorough before you ever list, so nothing surfaces as a surprise during inspection
- Stay in communication with your agent about where the buyer’s financing and appraisal stand
- Don’t assume “accepted offer” means done — the highest-risk period for a deal falling apart is the first two to three weeks after acceptance
What This Means for You as a Seller
Most of the deadlines in this process exist to protect the buyer, but understanding them protects you too — knowing what’s coming and when means you’re not caught off guard by a request for repairs, a renegotiation after a low appraisal, or a delay tied to financing. A seller who understands the timeline can respond calmly and quickly, which tends to keep deals together that might otherwise fall apart from miscommunication or missed deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it typically take to close after accepting an offer in Colorado?
Most transactions close 30 to 45 days after acceptance, though the exact timeline depends on financing, inspection findings, and what’s negotiated in the contract.
What happens if the buyer’s inspection finds a problem?
The buyer submits a written inspection objection by their deadline, and you have until the resolution deadline to agree on repairs, a credit, or a price adjustment. If no agreement is reached, the contract can terminate.
Can a buyer back out after accepting the contract?
Yes, during specific contingency periods — inspection, title review, appraisal, and loan approval — the buyer generally has the right to terminate and recover their earnest money if they follow the contract’s deadlines and procedures.
What if the appraisal comes in lower than the sale price?
The buyer typically has the right to renegotiate the price or terminate the contract if the appraisal is low, since their lender won’t finance more than the appraised value.
Do I need a real estate attorney to close in Colorado?
Not typically. Colorado closings are usually handled by a title company rather than requiring an attorney, though you can involve one for complex situations like probate or a disputed title.
If you’re getting ready to accept an offer and want to understand exactly what’s coming next for your specific property, I’m happy to walk you through the timeline. Reach out anytime and we’ll go through the specifics together.
About Kayla Brady Kayla Brady is a Realtor with HomeSmart Preferred Realty serving Westcliffe and Custer County, Colorado. She works with buyers and sellers across the Wet Mountain Valley on land, cabins, mountain and horse properties, ranches, and in-town homes, and guides every seller through the process from accepted offer to closing day.