In California, you typically get the keys at 6:00 PM on the day the grant deed records with the county. That timing comes from the standard California Association of Realtors Residential Purchase Agreement, which sets 6:00 PM on the recording date as the default moment the seller must hand over possession.1California Association of REALTORS®. California Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions Signing loan documents does not get you the keys. Neither does the lender wiring money. Only recording does, and even then possession usually waits for the evening.
Why 6:00 PM, and When It Can Be Different
The CAR purchase agreement defines “Close of Escrow” as the date the grant deed is recorded, and it gives the seller until 6:00 PM that day to vacate and deliver the property.1California Association of REALTORS®. California Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions You could legally own the home by late morning and still have no right to walk through the door until evening. The gap is there so the seller has the full business day to finish moving out and leave the property in the agreed condition.
The 6:00 PM time is a default, not a rule. You and the seller can negotiate possession earlier in the day, later in the evening, or on a different day entirely, as long as you spell it out in the purchase agreement during the offer phase. If the seller stays past the agreed time without a written arrangement, the contract may impose daily holdover charges.
What Has to Happen Before the Keys Change Hands
Three things stand between your signing appointment and the moment the deed records: you sign, the lender funds, and the county records. Each step has its own timing, and a slip in any one can push the handoff to the next business day.
Signing and Funding
At the signing appointment you sign loan and escrow documents in front of a notary and review the final settlement statement. After you wire your down payment and closing costs, the lender does a final review of the signed package and then wires the loan balance to escrow. That wire is called funding.
California lenders use either “wet” or “dry” funding. Wet funding means the lender disburses on the same day you sign. Dry funding means the lender reviews the signed package first, which can add a business day or two between signing and funding. The escrow officer will not send documents to the county until the money has arrived.
Recording at the County
You do not legally own the property until the grant deed is recorded at your county’s Recorder’s Office. California Government Code Section 27201 sets the recorder’s duty to accept and record real property instruments,2California Legislative Information. California Government Code 27201 and the California State Board of Equalization confirms that recording protects the buyer’s interest in the chain of title.3California State Board of Equalization. Property Ownership and Deed Recording
Each county sets its own daily cutoff for accepting documents, often somewhere around 3:00 to 3:30 PM. If escrow submits before the cutoff, recording happens the same day. Many counties now use electronic recording, which can process a deed in minutes. If documents arrive after the cutoff, recording moves to the next business day, and so does your right to possession. The escrow officer waits for a recording confirmation number from the county before telling everyone the transaction has closed.
How You Actually Get the Keys
Once the escrow officer confirms recording, your agent generally retrieves the lockbox key or access code from the listing agent and either meets you at the property or arranges a handoff. Many closings happen without the parties ever meeting in person, because electronic or mechanical lockboxes let your agent collect the keys as soon as recording is confirmed.
Keys are only part of what the seller owes you. The CAR purchase agreement requires the seller to provide keys, passwords, codes, and any means to operate locks, mailboxes, security systems, alarms, home automation systems, internet-connected devices, and garage door openers at close of escrow.1California Association of REALTORS®. California Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions For smart locks, thermostats, security cameras, and similar devices that stay with the property, the seller should perform a factory reset so you can set them up on your own Wi-Fi and accounts. Confirm this on move-in day. Without a reset, the seller may still have remote access to devices inside your home.
When the Seller Needs to Stay Past Closing
If the seller cannot vacate by the closing date, a rent-back agreement (also called a post-closing occupancy agreement) lets them stay temporarily while paying you a daily rate. The charge is commonly based on your principal, interest, taxes, and insurance costs divided by 30.
Conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac require you to occupy the property as your primary residence within 60 days of closing, so rent-back periods generally cap at 60 days and most agents write them for 59 days or fewer. Some lenders impose stricter limits of 30 days. The agreement should address a security deposit, who pays for repairs during the occupancy, and the seller’s insurance obligations while they remain in the home.
What Can Push Your Key Handoff Later
Even on a well-run closing, a few issues can shift possession past the day you expected:
- Late wire transfers. If your down payment wire does not reach escrow early enough, the lender may not fund in time for same-day recording. Initiate the wire as early as your bank allows.
- Missed recording cutoff. County recorder offices stop accepting documents in the mid-to-late afternoon. A deed submitted after the cutoff rolls to the next business day, and so does your possession.
- Missing homeowners insurance binder. The lender will not fund without proof of insurance. Secure your policy and send the binder to the lender and escrow officer well before closing day.
- Last-minute lender conditions. The final review sometimes generates new requests, such as an updated pay stub, a letter explaining a recent deposit, or a corrected document. Fast responses keep the schedule intact.
- Friday and holiday closings. A delay on a Friday can mean waiting until Monday. Count weekends and county holidays when the recorder’s office is closed.
Staying in close contact with your escrow officer and agent on closing day is the most reliable way to know when your keys will actually be ready.
Moving In Before Recording Is a Bad Idea
Until closing is final, the seller’s insurance covers the property, not yours. If you move belongings in and a fire, theft, or accident occurs before the deed records, the seller’s liability exposure grows and your possessions may not be covered. There is also a real risk the deal falls through after you have started unpacking. Any early occupancy arrangement should be in writing and reviewed carefully before you move so much as a box.
Use the Final Walk-Through to Protect the Handoff
Schedule your final walk-through at least 24 hours before the expected closing date so the seller and your lender have time to address anything you find before funds are released. Plan on at least 30 minutes at the property, and focus on:
- Agreed repairs. Confirm that any repairs the seller committed to in the contract are complete.
- Included items. Appliances, light fixtures, window coverings, and anything else listed in the agreement should still be in place and in the condition you last saw them.
- Plumbing and electrical. Run faucets, flush toilets, test outlets with a phone charger, and switch on both the heater and air conditioner regardless of season.
- Doors and windows. Every door and window should open, close, and lock. Check weather stripping and screens.
- Structure. Look for new cracks, water damage, or standing water in the basement or crawl space.
- Landscaping. Trees, shrubs, and other plantings should still be in place. Sellers have been known to dig up prized plants before leaving.
If the walk-through turns up a problem, tell your agent immediately. Depending on the issue, you may negotiate a repair credit, delay closing, or in extreme cases exercise your right to cancel the contract. Catching a problem before funding is far easier than chasing a former owner afterward.