http://www.trulia.com/voices/Home_Buying/How_far_out_can_i_set_my_closing_date_-92112I am currently in a lease with my apartment for 5 more months, is there anyway i can "reserve" the house i want until then?en-ushttp://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-80210-54471/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-80210-54471/When negotiating for a home, the closing date is one of the terms you and the seller need to agree on. Typically a closing date that far in advance is not going to appeal to a seller. The seller would worry about losing valuable marketing time if you were to default on the purchase. HOWEVER, if you were to do inspections and get your financing in place then give the seller a strong guarantee, for instance make your earnest money go hard if you default, that might convince him. Of course your earnest money would need to be something substantial. Good luck with endeavors! BTW, I've got a blog series going on 100 real estate and relocation tips in 100 days. You might find other tips there. Stop by for a visit!Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:07:51 -0700http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Venice_FL-133970/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Venice_FL-133970/The closing date is a term of the contract and agreed to by the parties involved. Our observation is the more extended the closing date, the greater the chances of difficulty that prevent the property from closing.Sun, 05 Apr 2009 05:52:06 -0700http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Colorado-183056/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Colorado-183056/Closing dates are determined between the buyer and seller. Given that a lot of things may change on either side over that time period, it's best to close sooner. This is actually a very complicated question and there are many options for you to get into a home sooner depending on what you and the seller agree upon. You can even go month to month once our lease expires if your landlord will allow that. Your first payment isn’t generally due until the month after you close which makes matters easier…. Like I said, there are many ways you can shorten the time line…That said, when you are renting it's always a timing issue. So I tell my given that you generally have 30 days to close, are you willing to look once or twice a year (depending on your lease) for a home that you will close once your lease expires and how many months or years are you willing to it until the timing is correct?Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:11:30 -0700http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Denver_CO-220464/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Denver_CO-220464/Adam, Rather than looking for a seller that will set a 5-month closing date, I suggest you look at homes that are being marketed as a "short sale". It often takes several months to even get an answer from the lien holders on these properties, which would work well with your timing. In fact, you may have an advantage in that many buyers do not have the luxury of waiting to hear if their offer on a home that is selling for maybe 90% of market value has been accepted. Here are a few examples of what is available in 80229: http://www.mymls.com/asp/email_zoomin.asp?PROPERTY_TYPE=RES&LISTING_NUM=725133&AREA=NSC&AgentID=09870N&ID=c71c7f9575769a7319c0281b1b044575&AgentName=JOHN+KEENE http://www.mymls.com/asp/email_zoomin.asp?PROPERTY_TYPE=RES&LISTING_NUM=732493&AREA=NSC&AgentID=09870N&ID=bf11bbc5949a637b4cbe96df0df5c062&AgentName=JOHN+KEENE http://www.mymls.com/asp/email_zoomin.asp?PROPERTY_TYPE=RES&LISTING_NUM=728993&AREA=NSC&AgentID=09870N&ID=492c0e14dfef2ce51871171ee8a47056&AgentName=JOHN+KEENE If you are not currently working with an agent and would like to learn more about purchasing a short sale please give me a call. Best of luck, John Keene Keller Williams 303-547-7578Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:26:39 -0800http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Dallas_TX-123371/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Dallas_TX-123371/GREAT QUESTION: 1. Depends on seller 2. You can plan prior to expiration of your lease 60 -75 ( 2 - 21/2 months) locate a home and close. Dallas Real Estate Agent, Mortgage Loan Officer, Credit repair consultant – Lynn A. CrosbyMon, 23 Feb 2009 17:42:44 -0800http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Denver_CO-635415/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Denver_CO-635415/Adam, 5 months is a long time to set a closing date. I will second Davids comments below that it is safe to say a seller is not going to want to work with you if you are talking 5 months out. That said, I am sure your lease has a penalty for terminating early. I would suggest you find out what that penalty is and if you start the real estate search process and find something amazing that you dont want to pass up then you negotiate into the purchase that the seller will pay your lease penalty outside of closing or just make sure the seller credits you an escrow item in that amount that has to be used for that purpose (as long as either option is allowed by your lender). Colorado is a table funding state where as California is an escrow state. Our closings are normally 30-45 days out. Anytime longer than 45 days is outside the norm. If you need help with your search, let me know. Good Living, Mike Baker Prudential Colorado Real Estate 303.246.8979Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:46:04 -0800http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-70461-250734/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-70461-250734/in additiion to what David said,expect to put down a deposit that is substantially higher than normal to compensate the owners for taking the house off the market for this length of time.Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:43:46 -0800http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Boulder_CO-314920/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Boulder_CO-314920/Denver Metro is normally 30-45 days. You can set your closing date 5 months ahead if you want. If I was selling my house and you wanted to close in 5 months, I would tell you to get lost because I will most likely find a buyer to close before then. If you want to set your closing date far in advance expect to pay more for the home to compensate the seller for waiting (the seller wants to sell now which is why it is for sale in a down market and they have to make mortgage payments while waiting to close). Hope this helps,Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:37:35 -0800http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Arvada_CO-252936/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Arvada_CO-252936/Here in Colorado, most people expect to close in about a month. But this is an item that can be negotiated if you want to close farther out. Even if they agree to a longer closing, sellers appreciate getting the inspection out of the way quickly, so that's one way you can make your offer appealing. Good luck - I hope it all works out for you!Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:34:48 -0800http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Marin_County_CA-369475/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Marin_County_CA-369475/An average closing date can vary by region in the country but to answer your question it often comes down to an agreement made by the seller and the buyer. A seller would like to see something close as soon as possible so generally speaking it is not a great idea to have a long escrow. Usually the most we see here in California is 60 days. This is also based on the loans and many commitments can not be carried beyond 60 days.Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:28:27 -0800