从开 escrow 到拿钥匙，30 到 45 天里每一步在做什么？
简单回答： 加州买卖房屋，从双方签约到拿钥匙，合同里常见约定 30 到 45 天。前 17 天左右是买方验房、估价、办贷款，并在期限内书面撤销 contingency；后半段是贷款批准、签文件、放款和录契。县政府录契完成，产权才算转移，钥匙按合同约定的时间交接。
天数怎么算
加州地产经纪协会（C.A.R.）的标准购房合同（RPA）里，大部分期限从「合同成立日」（Acceptance）算起，也就是最后一方签字并送达对方的那天，这一天算第 0 天。定金按工作日算，其他期限都按自然日算。每个期限到最后一天晚上 11:59 结束；最后一天如果是周末或法定假日，顺延到下一个工作日。
RPA 没有预设过户日，双方要在合同里填天数或具体日期。下面的时间表按一笔 30 天、有贷款的买卖来排，用的是 RPA 的默认天数。你的合同如果改过天数，以合同为准。
时间表
| 大致时间 | 发生什么 | 主要由谁负责 |
|---|---|---|
| 第 0 天 | 双方签字，合同成立 | 买卖双方、经纪人 |
| 3 个工作日内 | 开 escrow，买方把定金（initial deposit）汇进 escrow 账户 | 买方、escrow |
| 收到后 5 天内 | 双方签回 escrow 的一般条款和补充指示 | 买卖双方、escrow |
| 开户后几天内 | 产权公司出初步产权报告（preliminary report） | 产权公司 |
| 第 7 天前 | 卖方交齐披露文件和报告 | 卖方、卖方经纪人 |
| 第 1 到 17 天 | 买方验房、审阅披露文件和产权报告；贷款机构安排估价、审核贷款 | 买方、经纪人、贷款机构 |
| 第 17 天 | 贷款、估价、验房、文件审阅、产权报告等 contingency 的默认期限 | 买方、经纪人 |
| 约第 17 到 25 天 | 贷款条件逐项满足，贷款机构发出批准（clear to close）；escrow 准备预估结算单 | 贷款机构、escrow |
| 过户前至少 3 个工作日 | 买方收到贷款的 Closing Disclosure | 贷款机构 |
| 过户前约 3 到 7 天 | 买方在公证员面前签贷款文件和 escrow 文件，汇入首付余款和结算费用；卖方签过户契据（grant deed）等文件 | escrow、贷款机构、买卖双方 |
| 过户前 5 天内 | 买方最后查看房屋（final walk-through），约定的修理应在这之前完成 | 买方、经纪人、卖方 |
| 录契前一天或当天 | 贷款机构放款（funding） | 贷款机构 |
| 第 30 天 | 产权公司到县登记处录契，交易完成；escrow 还清卖方贷款、支付佣金等费用，余款付给卖方 | 产权公司、escrow |
| 录契后 | 交钥匙 | 卖方、经纪人 |
前 17 天：验房、估价、贷款
开户以后，escrow 会把买卖双方、经纪人、贷款机构和产权公司的联系方式整理好，发出 escrow 指示让双方签字。买方要在 3 个工作日内汇定金。这笔钱进的是 escrow 的信托账户，不是交给卖方或经纪人。
卖方要在 7 天内交披露文件，比如房屋状况披露（TDS）、卖方问卷（SPQ）和自然灾害区域披露（NHD）。买方审阅这些文件的期限是第 17 天，或者收到后 5 天，两者取较晚的。初步产权报告的审阅期限也这样算。
验房一般在第一周约好。估价由贷款机构委托估价师来做。估价低于成交价时，保留了估价 contingency 的买方可以重新谈价，也可以解约。2024 年起，RPA 还增加了一项保险 contingency，让买方确认房屋保险买不买得到、保费多少。火险难买的地区，这一项要尽早问保险经纪。
到第 17 天，买方要做决定。没问题，就签书面的撤销 contingency 表格（C.A.R. Form CR）；有问题，就在期限内提出修理要求或者解约。按 RPA 的写法，contingency 不会因为时间到了自动失效。卖方要先发「Notice to Buyer to Perform」，给买方至少 2 天，买方还不处理，卖方才能解约。
撤销 contingency 以后，买方如果因为贷款没批下来等原因不能完成交易，按合同的违约条款，定金可能被卖方留下。所以这一步签字前，最好先和贷款机构确认贷款进度。
后半段：签字、放款、录契
贷款批下来以后，贷款机构把贷款文件发给 escrow。Escrow 根据合同、贷款机构的要求、卖方旧贷款的还款金额（payoff）、房产税和 HOA 费用的分摊，算出买卖双方各自要付多少、拿多少。
联邦法规要求买方在过户前至少 3 个工作日收到 Closing Disclosure，上面列着最终的贷款条件和费用。收到后可以和早先的 Loan Estimate 对一下，有出入就问贷款机构。
签字可以在 escrow 办公室，也可以约公证员上门，都要带有效身份证件。签完后买方汇入余款。贷款机构核对文件没问题，就把贷款汇过来。产权公司收齐款项后，把过户契据和贷款的 deed of trust 送到县登记处录契。录契完成就是过户完成，escrow 随后付款给各方。
钥匙什么时候交，看合同。RPA 的默认是收到录契通知时交付，双方也可以约定过户当天下午 6 点或别的时间。卖方如果过户后还要住几天，要另签协议：29 天以内用 C.A.R. 的 SIP 表格，30 天以上用 RLAS 租约。
Escrow 做什么，不做什么
Escrow 是中立第三方，按买卖双方共同签署的指示办事，不替任何一方争取条件。
| 谁 | 负责什么 |
|---|---|
| Escrow | 保管定金和购房款；收集签好的文件；向卖方贷款机构要还款金额；做结算单；安排签字；条件都满足后通知录契，并把钱付给各方 |
| 贷款机构 | 审批贷款、安排估价、出 Loan Estimate 和 Closing Disclosure、准备贷款文件、放款 |
| 经纪人 | 谈价格和条款、安排验房、准备撤销 contingency 和修理要求等表格、陪同最后查看房屋 |
| 产权公司 | 查产权、出初步产权报告和产权保险、到县登记处录契 |
Escrow 不决定买方要不要撤销 contingency，不审批贷款，也不提供法律或税务意见。这些问题要问经纪人、贷款机构、律师或会计师。南加州的常见做法是 escrow 和产权保险由两家公司分别负责，北加州则多由产权公司一并办理。
签合同前和过户期间要注意的事
- 签合同前把过户日和每项 contingency 的天数看清楚。17 天是默认值，可以改。贷款情况复杂的买方，可以和对方商量把贷款 contingency 留长一点。
- 利率锁定（rate lock）有期限。过户日要往后推之前，先问贷款机构会不会过期。
- 过户期间不要换工作，不要开新的信用卡或贷款买车。贷款机构放款前通常会再核查一次。
- 首付款从海外汇过来，路上要花时间，银行还可能要求说明资金来源。提前安排，保留汇款记录。
- 汇款前一定先打电话给 escrow 核对收款账户。电话要打你早就有的号码，比如合同上或 escrow 官网上的号码，不要用邮件或短信里给的号码。收到「账户变更」的通知，先当成诈骗处理。万一汇错，马上联系银行，并到 FBI 的网络犯罪举报网站（ic3.gov）报案。
- 卖方如果房子还有贷款，尽早把贷款机构和贷款账号告诉 escrow，方便要还款金额。有 HOA 的，也把物业管理公司的联系方式给 escrow。
有具体交易想先算一算，可以致电 (714) 470-0170 或加微信 jly54301，普通话、粤语、英文都可以沟通。
常见问题
没有贷款审批，也不用等贷款机构的估价和放款，时间主要看合同约定、卖方文件和产权报告的准备情况，通常可以比贷款交易短不少。具体天数由买卖双方在合同里约定。
不会。按加州标准购房合同（RPA），contingency 要由买方书面撤销，时间到了不会自动失效。卖方可以发「Notice to Buyer to Perform」，给买方至少 2 天；买方到期仍不处理，卖方才可以解约。
可以，但要买卖双方书面同意并签修改协议，再交给 escrow 更新指示。推迟前先问贷款机构，利率锁定和贷款批准都有有效期。
From Opening Escrow to Getting the Keys: What Happens in 30–45 Days
Short answer: In California, purchase contracts commonly set 30 to 45 days from signing to getting the keys. The first 17 days or so are for the buyer's inspections, appraisal and loan, and for removing contingencies in writing before the deadlines. The second half covers loan approval, signing, funding and recording. Ownership transfers when the deed is recorded with the county, and the keys change hands at the time the contract sets.
How the days are counted
Under the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA), most deadlines run from Acceptance, the day the last party signs and the signed contract is delivered to the other side. That day is Day 0. The deposit deadline is counted in business days; everything else is in calendar days. Each deadline ends at 11:59 p.m. on its last day, and if that day falls on a weekend or legal holiday, it moves to the next business day.
The RPA has no default closing date. The parties fill in a number of days or a specific date. The timeline below assumes a 30-day financed purchase using the RPA's default periods. If your contract changes any of them, your contract controls.
Timeline
| Approximate timing | What happens | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Both sides sign; the contract is in effect | Buyer, seller, agents |
| Within 3 business days | Escrow opens; buyer wires the initial deposit into escrow | Buyer, escrow |
| Within 5 days of receipt | Both sides sign and return escrow's general provisions and supplemental instructions | Buyer, seller, escrow |
| A few days after opening | Title company issues the preliminary title report | Title company |
| By Day 7 | Seller delivers required disclosures and reports | Seller, listing agent |
| Days 1 to 17 | Buyer inspects and reviews disclosures and the title report; lender orders the appraisal and underwrites the loan | Buyer, agents, lender |
| Day 17 | Default deadline for the loan, appraisal, investigation, document review and title report contingencies | Buyer, agents |
| About Days 17 to 25 | Loan conditions are cleared and the lender issues clear to close; escrow prepares an estimated settlement statement | Lender, escrow |
| At least 3 business days before closing | Buyer receives the Closing Disclosure | Lender |
| About 3 to 7 days before closing | Buyer signs loan and escrow documents before a notary and wires the rest of the down payment and closing costs; seller signs the grant deed and other documents | Escrow, lender, buyer, seller |
| Within 5 days before closing | Buyer's final walk-through; agreed repairs should be finished by then | Buyer, agents, seller |
| The day before or day of recording | Lender funds the loan | Lender |
| Day 30 | Title company records the deed with the county; escrow pays off the seller's loan, pays commissions and other costs, and sends the seller the proceeds | Title company, escrow |
| After recording | Keys are handed over | Seller, agents |
The first 17 days: inspections, appraisal, loan
Once escrow opens, escrow collects contact information for the buyer, seller, agents, lender and title company and sends out escrow instructions for both sides to sign. The buyer has 3 business days to wire the deposit. That money goes into the escrow company's trust account, not to the seller or an agent.
The seller has 7 days to deliver disclosures such as the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS), the Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ) and the Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD). The buyer's review period ends on Day 17 or 5 days after receiving the documents, whichever is later. The preliminary title report review works the same way.
Inspections are usually booked in the first week. The lender hires the appraiser. If the appraisal comes in below the price, a buyer who kept the appraisal contingency can renegotiate or cancel. Since 2024 the RPA also has an insurance contingency, which gives the buyer time to confirm that homeowners insurance is available and what it costs. In areas where fire coverage is hard to get, ask an insurance broker early.
By Day 17 the buyer has to decide. If everything checks out, the buyer signs a written contingency removal (C.A.R. Form CR). If not, the buyer asks for repairs or cancels before the deadline. Under the RPA, contingencies do not disappear just because time has run. The seller must first deliver a Notice to Buyer to Perform giving the buyer at least 2 days, and can cancel only if the buyer still does not act.
After removing contingencies, a buyer who cannot close, for example because the loan falls through, may lose the deposit to the seller under the contract's default terms. Check where the loan stands with your lender before you sign the removal.
The second half: signing, funding, recording
Once the loan is approved, the lender sends loan documents to escrow. Escrow works out what each side pays and receives, based on the contract, the lender's requirements, the payoff on the seller's existing loan, and the proration of property taxes and HOA dues.
Federal rules require the buyer to receive the Closing Disclosure at least 3 business days before closing. It lists the final loan terms and costs. Compare it with your earlier Loan Estimate and ask the lender about any differences.
Signing can happen at the escrow office or with a mobile notary, and you need valid photo ID either way. After signing, the buyer wires the remaining funds. Once the lender has reviewed the signed documents, it funds the loan. When the title company has all the money, it sends the grant deed and the lender's deed of trust to the county recorder. Recording completes the sale, and escrow then pays everyone.
When the keys change hands depends on the contract. The RPA default is possession on notice of recording; the parties can instead choose 6 p.m. on the closing date or another time. If the seller needs to stay after closing, they sign a separate agreement: C.A.R. Form SIP for 29 days or fewer, or the RLAS lease for 30 days or more.
What escrow does and does not do
Escrow is a neutral third party. It follows instructions signed by both buyer and seller and does not negotiate for either side.
| Who | Responsible for |
|---|---|
| Escrow | Holds the deposit and purchase funds; collects signed documents; requests the seller's loan payoff; prepares settlement statements; arranges signing; once all conditions are met, authorizes recording and pays out funds |
| Lender | Approves the loan, orders the appraisal, issues the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, prepares loan documents, funds the loan |
| Agents | Negotiate price and terms, schedule inspections, prepare contingency removal and repair request forms, attend the final walk-through |
| Title company | Searches title, issues the preliminary report and title insurance, records documents with the county |
Escrow does not decide whether the buyer should remove contingencies, does not approve loans, and does not give legal or tax advice. Those questions go to your agent, lender, attorney or accountant. In Southern California, escrow and title insurance are usually handled by two separate companies; in Northern California, the title company often handles both.
Things to watch before signing and during escrow
- Before signing, check the closing date and the number of days for each contingency. Seventeen days is the default and can be changed. A buyer with a complicated loan can ask for a longer loan contingency.
- Rate locks expire. Before moving the closing date, ask your lender whether the lock will run out.
- During escrow, don't change jobs, open new credit cards or take out a car loan. Lenders usually re-verify before funding.
- Down payment funds sent from overseas take time to arrive, and the bank may ask you to document where the money came from. Plan ahead and keep your transfer records.
- Before wiring any money, call escrow to confirm the account. Use a number you already have, such as the one on your contract or the escrow company's website, not one from an email or text. Treat any notice that the wiring instructions have changed as fraud until proven otherwise. If you wire to the wrong account, call your bank right away and report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov).
- Sellers with a mortgage should give escrow the lender's name and loan number early so escrow can request the payoff. If there is an HOA, give escrow the management company's contact information too.
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FAQ
There is no loan approval, and no waiting on a lender's appraisal or funding. Timing depends mostly on what the contract says and how quickly the seller's documents and the title report are ready, so it is usually a good deal shorter than a financed sale. The buyer and seller set the exact number of days in the contract.
No. Under the California RPA, the buyer must remove contingencies in writing; they do not lapse on their own. The seller can deliver a Notice to Buyer to Perform giving the buyer at least 2 days, and may cancel only if the buyer still does not act.
Yes, but both buyer and seller must agree in a signed written amendment, which then goes to escrow so the instructions can be updated. Check with your lender first, since rate locks and loan approvals both expire.