Once your Houston offer is accepted, the clock starts immediately. You’ll deliver earnest money and an option fee to the title company, complete inspections during the option period, coordinate financing and appraisal, review title work, do a final walkthrough, and close at the title company, all on contract-specific deadlines.
What happens after your Houston offer is accepted?
Once your Houston offer is accepted and you have a fully executed contract, a specific sequence of deadlines begins, and most of them are set by your contract, not by a single statewide rule. You’ll deliver earnest money and an option fee to the title company, use the option period to inspect the property and negotiate repairs, coordinate your financing and appraisal, review title work, complete a final walkthrough, and close at the title company, typically all within the timeframe your contract specifies.
Key Takeaways
- Your Houston offer is accepted the moment both parties sign, that effective date starts every deadline in your contract, so your agent should send the executed contract to the title company, lender, and inspector the same day.
- Earnest money and the option fee are generally due to the title company within three days of the contract’s effective date under the standard TREC framework, but your executed contract controls the exact deadline.
- The option period is negotiable and not required by Texas law, if you pay the agreed option fee and deliver timely written notice, you have an unrestricted right to terminate during that window.
- The option fee is delivered to the title company (not directly to the seller) and is credited toward your purchase price at closing.
- Greater Houston had approximately 5.3 months of single-family inventory as of recent data, meaning sellers still have negotiating leverage in many price ranges, making a clean, well-timed post-acceptance process more important than ever.
What are the first steps after a Houston offer is accepted?
The clock starts the moment you have a fully executed contract. That effective date is the anchor for every deadline that follows, and the first thing I do for my clients is make sure the contract goes to the title company, lender, inspector, and anyone else who needs it, the same day.
Don’t wait until the next morning. In Greater Houston’s market, where the Greater Houston Partnership’s most recent data shows approximately 5.3 months of single-family inventory, sellers still have options. A buyer who fumbles the early paperwork creates friction that can derail an otherwise solid deal.
If you’re working through the full process for the first time, the First-Time Home Buyer Checklist: Houston covers the earlier stages, pre-approval, the offer, and what to prepare before you get to this point.
Earnest money and the option fee: what’s due and when
Under the standard Texas Real Estate Commission contract framework, earnest money and the option fee are generally delivered to the escrow agent, almost always the title company, within three days of the contract’s effective date. Your executed contract controls the exact deadline, and the parties can agree in writing to different timing, so confirm the specifics with your agent immediately.
One thing that trips up buyers who’ve purchased in other states: in Texas, the option fee goes to the title company, not directly to the seller. The escrow agent may release it to the seller, and it gets credited toward your purchase price at closing. It’s a small but important distinction, and the delivery method and instructions will come from your title company, not from the seller’s agent.
Earnest money is a separate deposit that demonstrates your commitment to the purchase. The amounts for both are negotiated between the parties and written into your contract. If you have questions about what’s reasonable in a specific price range or neighborhood, that’s a conversation to have with your agent before you write the offer, not after.
The option period: your inspection and negotiation window
According to the Texas Real Estate Commission, the option period is negotiable, it’s not required by Texas law, and the length is set in your contract. During that window, if you’ve paid the agreed option fee and deliver timely written notice, you have an unrestricted right to terminate. That’s a meaningful protection, and it’s one of the most important features of the Texas contract process.
Schedule your general home inspection as early in the option period as possible. Waiting until day three or four of a short option period leaves almost no room to respond to what the inspector finds. In Greater Houston, depending on the property, you may also want to consider specialty evaluations, foundation movement, drainage, roof condition, sewer lines, pool equipment, or septic systems, for example. These aren’t automatic requirements for every home; they depend on the property’s age, condition, and what the general inspector flags.
Once you have inspection results, you have a few paths: proceed as-is, request repairs or a credit through a repair amendment, or terminate within the option period. A repair request does not automatically extend the option period, if you need more time, that extension has to be documented in a signed written agreement before the period expires.
| Stage | Who Handles It | Key Timing Note |
|---|---|---|
| Earnest money and option fee delivery | Title company (escrow agent) | Generally within 3 days of effective date; your contract controls |
| General home inspection | Licensed inspector, buyer arranges | Schedule immediately, don’t wait until mid-option period |
| Specialty inspections (if needed) | Specialty inspectors, buyer arranges | Must fit within or before option period expiration |
| Repair amendment or termination notice | Buyer’s agent delivers | Must be delivered before option period expires, no automatic extension |
| Appraisal ordered by lender | Lender coordinates | Lender needs executed contract immediately; appraisal delay can compress closing |
| Title commitment issued | Title company | Review exceptions promptly; objection deadlines are contract-specific |
| Final walkthrough | Buyer and agent | Schedule close to closing but early enough to address issues |
| Closing | Title company | Date is a negotiated contract term; funding and disbursement follow signing |
How do financing, appraisal, and title work fit into the Houston buyer timeline?
These three tracks run in parallel, and any one of them can delay closing if it falls behind. The moment your Houston offer is accepted, your lender needs a copy of the executed contract. Loan processing, document collection, appraisal ordering, and underwriting all take time, and a firm closing date in your contract doesn’t move just because one track slipped.
For help getting your financing documentation in order before this stage, see Preparing to Meet With a Mortgage Broker in Houston.
The appraisal
For a financed purchase, the lender orders the appraisal as part of underwriting. If the appraised value comes in below the contract price, your options depend on what your contract and financing addenda say, you may be able to renegotiate the price, bring additional funds to close, or, if a contractual termination right applies, walk away. There’s no universal Texas statutory rule that automatically resolves a low appraisal; it comes down to what’s written in your agreement. This is one of the situations where having an experienced agent in your corner matters most.
Title work
The title company opens escrow, orders or updates a title search, and issues a title commitment identifying ownership history, liens, easements, and exceptions. Review it carefully. Objection deadlines are contract-specific, so don’t sit on it. If you see an easement, restriction, or lien you don’t understand, raise it with your agent and the title company promptly, not the week before closing.
Clear to close and closing prep
“Clear to close” is the lender’s confirmation that underwriting is complete and the loan is approved. Once you have it, the title company prepares closing documents and calculates the final figures. Before closing day, confirm wire instructions directly with the title company by phone, using a trusted number you’ve independently verified, not just an email you received. Wire fraud targeting homebuyers is a real and growing problem, and verifying instructions independently is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself.
What should I expect at the final walkthrough and closing in Houston?
Schedule the final walkthrough close enough to closing to catch any unresolved issues, but early enough that your agent and the title company have time to address them. The walkthrough isn’t a new inspection, it’s a condition check. You’re verifying that the home is in the agreed condition, any negotiated repairs are complete, fixtures and appliances that were supposed to stay are still there, and there’s no new damage since you last saw the property.
If something is wrong, flag it immediately. Waiting until you’re at the closing table to raise a repair issue creates real pressure on everyone and can delay funding.
Closing takes place at the title company (or another location specified in your contract). You’ll sign the lender documents and transfer documents, provide required funds, and complete the title company’s closing process. Keep in mind that signing is not the same as closing, funding and disbursement may still need to occur before the transaction is officially complete and you receive keys. Your agent and the title company will walk you through exactly what to expect on your closing day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to do first after my offer is accepted in Houston?
The first thing to do is confirm the effective date of your executed contract and get a copy to your title company, lender, and inspector the same day. Every deadline in your transaction, earnest money, option fee, inspection, financing, and closing, runs from that effective date, so early coordination prevents avoidable delays.
When are earnest money and the option fee due in Texas?
Under the standard TREC contract framework, both are generally due to the title company within three days of the contract’s effective date, but your executed contract controls the exact deadline. Confirm the amount, delivery method, and payment instructions with your agent and the title company immediately after your offer is accepted.
Does the option fee go to the seller or the title company in Texas?
The option fee is delivered to the title company, which acts as the escrow agent, not directly to the seller. The escrow agent may release it to the seller, and the option fee is credited toward the purchase price at closing. This changed under the revised TREC contract process, so buyers who’ve purchased in other states or under older Texas contracts should confirm the current procedure with their agent.
Can I back out after the inspection in Texas?
If you’re still within the negotiated option period and you paid the option fee, yes, you have an unrestricted right to terminate by delivering timely written notice before the period expires. Once the option period ends, your ability to terminate depends on whether any other contractual termination rights apply (such as a financing contingency). This is why scheduling your inspection early in the option period matters so much.
What happens if the appraisal comes in below the offer price in Houston?
A low appraisal doesn’t automatically kill the deal, but it does require a decision. Your options depend on what your contract and financing addenda say, common paths include renegotiating the price with the seller, bringing additional funds to cover the gap, or, if a contractual termination right applies, terminating. Your agent should walk you through the specific language in your contract before you respond to the lender or the seller’s side.
What should I check during the final walkthrough before closing?
Verify that the home is in the condition your contract requires: agreed repairs are complete, all fixtures and appliances that were supposed to stay are present, systems are operational, and there’s no new damage since your last visit. If the contract required the home to be vacant by closing, confirm that as well. Raise any issues with your agent before you arrive at the closing table, not during signing.
The post-acceptance process in Greater Houston moves fast, and the deadlines are real. Knowing what’s coming, and coordinating early with your agent, lender, inspector, and title company, is what keeps a transaction on track from the day your Houston offer is accepted to the moment you get your keys.
If you’re heading into this process and want a clear picture of your specific timeline and what to expect at each stage, I’d be glad to walk you through it. Schedule a consultation and we’ll map out your transaction from contract to closing. If you also own a home you plan to sell, you can get a free home valuation to see where your numbers land before you buy.
About Marcela Amador
Marcela Amador is a Houston REALTOR®, builder, and investor with over 20 years of experience who helps buyers, sellers, and investors navigate the Greater Houston market with construction expertise and data-driven insight.
Homes Central Real Estate, Inc. · 832-701-4181
Equal Housing Opportunity. Marcela Amador is licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission. This article is general information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your specific deadlines, costs, and figures with your title company, tax advisor, or lender.
