A homebuyer laid out the kind of closing problem many buyers dread: the seller wanted to delay the sale by two weeks because of travel after they had already given notice on their apartment.
An update suggested the situation was even messier. The buyers said the listing agent told them the seller was in Montenegro, hadn't packed the house yet, and hoped to stay overseas longer.
Here's what to know
According to the buyers' post on Reddit, the deal was nearing the end of a 45-day closing period when the seller said he would not close on the date required by the contract. The buyers said they had already turned in a 30-day notice at their apartment and would be without housing starting the day after closing was supposed to take place.
The original poster wrote, "We don't want to extend it beyond the closing date because we won't have an apartment a day after the closing date, our movers already prepared and everything is boxed up and ready to go."
They said their realtor proposed having the title attorney's office serve as the seller's power of attorney, an idea the seller allegedly rejected. In a later update, the buyers said the listing agent told them the seller was on a work trip in Montenegro, wanted to extend that stay, and still had not packed the home.
The buyers also said their mortgage rate lock ran only through 9/30 and that the seller would not agree to an international closing.
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More background
A two-week postponement, the buyers said, could force them into a hotel and require storage for their belongings, with no guarantee the seller would actually be ready to close at the end of that period.
They also defended their own agent from criticism, saying the realtor had spent four months showing them homes "every weekend," accepted a reduced commission rate, and suggested the seller should pay for hotel and storage costs if the closing missed the contract date.
The realtor, they added, warned that if the seller did not show up and complete the transaction, the buyers might have to speak with an attorney about an alleged breach of contract. The buyer said that possibility felt daunting because legal action would be expensive and "could take months for the court to force a sale."
Many commenters on the Reddit thread said travel alone usually isn't enough to stop a closing. One commenter wrote, "We were out of the country during closing and signed via an online notary set up by our title company. It was extremely easy/straightforward."
What can be done?
Much of the advice in the thread focused on finishing the sale without the seller being physically present, either through remote notarization or by signing before leaving.
Commenters also pointed to other versions of the same idea, such as signing a week or two early, e-signing final statements, or giving a lawyer power of attorney to handle day-of-closing problems. Several said they had personally closed while out of state or outside the country.
For a seller who would not cooperate with those options, some commenters said the financial consequences should fall on the seller. Suggestions included asking for an addendum requiring the seller to pay for hotel stays, storage, movers, and any cost connected to keeping the buyer's mortgage rate intact.
Others said buyers should raise the issue with the brokerage or be ready to walk away if necessary.
With 45 days already spent in escrow and the rate lock expiring on 9/30, the buyer said, "We love the home, but we're considering our option to walk."
Where can I learn more?
A delayed closing is just one way a home purchase can go sideways, as these articles highlight.
• A first-time buyer ended up heartbroken over balcony restrictions that surfaced too late.
• A buyer of a foreclosed home was hit with a surprise $20K demand over solar panels.
• In Colorado, an HOA dispute escalated until residents saw their homes sold without warning.
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