Closing Day Questions in Colorado: When Do I Get Paid, When Do I Get the Keys, and What Do I Bring?

Most closing-day questions aren't about title insurance or legal descriptions. They're about money and keys. When do I get paid? Why do I owe property taxes on a house I'm selling? Can I bring a personal check? When can we move in?

These are the questions our closers hear most, with straight answers for Colorado. Agents, feel free to send this to your clients a week before closing. It'll save everyone a few phone calls.

Seller questions

When will I get my money?

Usually the same day you close. In Colorado, the title company can't disburse anything until all the money for the deal is in its account as "good funds" (C.R.S. 38-35-125). That means the buyer's funds and, if they're financing, the lender's loan money have to arrive first.

Once that happens and everyone has signed, the closer sends out the payoffs, commissions, and your proceeds. Most sellers see a wire land the same afternoon. A few things can push it to the next business day:

• The buyer's lender funds late in the day. If the loan doesn't fund until after the bank's wire cutoff, your wire goes out the next morning.
• You signed early. If you pre-signed, you get paid when the buyer closes and funds, not when you signed.
• A Friday afternoon closing. A wire that misses Friday's cutoff won't land until Monday.
• Your wire instructions weren't verified. The closer won't send money to an account they haven't confirmed. More on that below.

Should I take a wire or a check?

Wire, in most cases. It's faster and you don't have to wait on a check to clear at your bank. You'll give the title company your bank's wiring information before closing, and they'll verify it with you by phone.

One rule worth repeating: the title company won't change your wire instructions because of an email. Neither should you. If you get an email that looks like it's from your closer asking you to "update" your bank info or confirm it through a link, call the title office at a number you already know. Here's how wire fraud and fake-seller scams work in Colorado.

What happens to my mortgage?

The title company orders a payoff statement from your lender and pays the loan off directly at closing. You don't have to do anything except give your loan information and, if asked, sign an authorization.

• Keep making your payments until closing. Interest is charged daily, and the payoff accounts for it.
• Your escrow balance comes back to you. If your lender held money for taxes and insurance, federal rules generally require the servicer to refund what's left within 30 days of payoff. It comes from your lender, not the title company.
• Two loans or a HELOC? Tell your agent early. A HELOC also has to be frozen and closed, and title will need your signature on that request.

Why am I paying property taxes on a house I'm selling?

Because Colorado property taxes are paid in arrears. The tax bill you pay in 2026 is for 2025. So when you close in October 2026, you still owe for January through closing day of 2026, and that bill doesn't come out until next year.

At closing, that time gets prorated. You give the buyer a credit for your share, and the buyer pays the full bill when it comes due. On most standard Colorado contracts, the proration is based on the most recent tax bill unless the parties agreed to something else. It's one of the bigger line items sellers don't expect, which is why it should be on the net sheet from day one.

Why does the title company need my Social Security number?

The title company has to report the sale to the IRS on a Form 1099-S. That doesn't automatically mean you owe tax. Many primary-residence sales fall under the capital gains exclusion. But the sale still gets reported, and your tax preparer will want your final settlement statement.

If you're not a Colorado resident, ask about state withholding too. Colorado generally requires 2% withholding (or the net proceeds, if less) on sales over $100,000 by nonresident sellers, unless an exemption applies.

Do I have to be there in person?

Not always. Common options:

• Pre-signing at the title office a day or two before closing
• A mail-away package signed in front of a notary wherever you are
• A traveling or remote notary, if the title company and any lender involved allow it
• A power of attorney, which title needs to review and approve before closing, not at the table

Tell your agent and the closer as soon as you know you can't attend. Last-minute signing changes are one of the easiest ways to push a closing.

When do I cancel my insurance and utilities?

After closing and after you've handed over possession, not before. If something happens to the house before closing, you want coverage in place. Schedule utility transfers for the possession date in your contract.

Buyer questions

How much money do I need to bring, and when will I know?

If you're getting a loan, your lender has to give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. That's your best preview of the number. The title company will confirm your exact cash-to-close amount before closing day.

Your earnest money is already counted. It's credited toward what you owe, so you're bringing the remaining balance, not the full down payment on top of it.

Can I bring a personal check?

Plan on no. Under Colorado's good funds law, the title company can't disburse until your money is in its account and available. A personal check doesn't meet that standard. Most buyers wire their funds. Cashier's checks may work for smaller amounts, but limits vary by company, so ask first. More on good funds here.

Before you wire anything, call the title company at a phone number you looked up yourself and confirm the instructions. Then call again after you send it to confirm it arrived.

What do I need to bring?

• A current, government-issued photo ID for everyone signing
• Your wire confirmation (or the cashier's check, if that was approved)
• Anything your lender or the closer specifically asked for

Everyone who will be on the loan or on title needs to sign. If a spouse or co-buyer can't make it, sort that out with the closer well before closing day.

When do I get the keys?

When the contract says you do. Colorado contracts set a possession date and time. On a lot of deals, it's at closing. On others, the seller has negotiated a few extra days, sometimes with a post-closing occupancy agreement.

Even when possession is at closing, keys usually don't change hands until the deal has funded. If your lender is slow to fund, you may be waiting in the parking lot for a bit. Don't schedule movers for 9 a.m. on closing day.

How long does the signing take?

Plan for about an hour if you're financing. Most of that is the loan documents. Cash buyers and sellers are usually faster. Read your Closing Disclosure before you get there so the table is for signing, not reviewing.

When is my first mortgage payment?

Usually the first of the month after a full month has passed. Close in October, and your first payment is typically December 1. That isn't a free month. Mortgage interest is paid in arrears, and you prepay interest for the rest of the closing month on your settlement statement.

When do I get my deed and title policy?

The title company records the deed with the county clerk and recorder after closing. In El Paso County, that's often done electronically and happens quickly, but the recorded original may take a while to get back to you. Your owner's title policy comes later, usually within several weeks. Keep it with your important papers.

Agent questions

When do I get paid?

Commissions are paid at closing, along with everything else, once the deal funds. In Colorado, the commission goes to your employing brokerage, not to you personally, so your brokerage's own payout timing applies after that. If your brokerage needs a specific commission disbursement form, get it to the closer before closing day.

What usually delays a closing?

From what we see, it's rarely one big problem. It's a missing piece that nobody chased:

• Lender changes after the Closing Disclosure goes out, especially changes that restart the three-day waiting period
• Payoffs that are late, incomplete, or missing a second loan or HELOC
• HOA status letters ordered late
• Signing authority on LLC and trust sales, estates, and divorces
• A power of attorney nobody sent to title for review
• Unverified wire instructions for the buyer's funds or the seller's proceeds

Most of these can be caught in the first week of the contract. If you want to know how fast a file can realistically close, it mostly comes down to how early these are handled.

Quick answers

How long after closing do sellers get their money in Colorado?

Usually the same day. The title company disburses once all funds are in as good funds and the documents are signed. Late lender funding, a missed wire cutoff, or unverified bank instructions can push it to the next business day.

Why do sellers pay property taxes at closing in Colorado?

Colorado property taxes are paid in arrears, so the current year's taxes aren't billed until the following year. The seller credits the buyer for the portion of the year they owned the home, and the buyer pays the full bill when it comes due.

Can a buyer use a personal check for closing funds in Colorado?

Generally no. Colorado's good funds law requires funds to be available before the title company disburses. Buyers typically wire their funds. Cashier's checks may be accepted for smaller amounts depending on the title company.

When does the buyer get the keys in Colorado?

On the possession date and time in the contract. When possession is at closing, keys are typically released once the transaction has funded.

Do sellers get their mortgage escrow balance back?

Yes. After the loan is paid off, the lender generally has to refund any remaining escrow balance within 30 days. The refund comes from the lender, not the title company.

Does a seller have to attend closing in person?

No. Sellers can often pre-sign, sign a mail-away package with a notary, or use an approved power of attorney. Tell the title company early so it can be arranged.

This article is general educational information about how Colorado closings commonly work. It isn't legal, tax, or financial advice. Timing, accepted payment types, and requirements vary by transaction and company, so confirm the details on your file with your closer, lender, or tax professional.