Your offer got accepted. Congratulations. Now the real work begins.
Most buyers assume the hard part is over once a seller says yes. They think they can relax, wait for closing day, and pick out paint colors. This assumption costs people deals, money, and sometimes the entire transaction.
The under-contract period is when approximately 5-7% of Colorado real estate deals fall apart. Not during negotiations. Not during the home search. After the offer is accepted, when buyers think they're safe.
The difference between a smooth closing and a disaster usually comes down to one thing: what your agent is doing during those 30-45 days while you're busy planning your move.
The Under-Contract Period: 30 Days of Invisible Work
Between contract acceptance and closing, there are roughly 20-25 separate tasks that must happen in a specific sequence, with specific deadlines, involving multiple parties who don't naturally communicate with each other.
Your lender is working on your loan. The title company is searching records. The appraiser is scheduling their visit. The inspector is documenting issues. The seller's agent is coordinating repairs. Insurance needs to be bound. HOA documents need review.
A mediocre agent assumes everyone is doing their job. A good agent verifies it, daily.
Week 1: The Foundation That Prevents Fires
In the first week after contract acceptance, a good agent should be doing these things without being asked:
- Confirming earnest money delivery and getting the receipt documented
- Scheduling the home inspection within the contingency window (not waiting until day 8 of a 10-day deadline)
- Sending the contract to the lender with all relevant deadlines highlighted
- Ordering title work and confirming the title company received everything they need
- Reviewing the contract timeline and creating a shared calendar with every deadline
- Confirming the appraisal order with the lender (this is often where delays start)
If your agent isn't doing these things in week one, you're already behind. Most closing delays originate from week-one inaction.
What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
A good agent prepares for this before it happens. They provide the appraiser with comparable sales data supporting your offer price. They make sure the appraiser has access scheduled. They know the appraisal is ordered within 48 hours of contract, not whenever the lender gets around to it.
When an appraisal comes in low, you have three options: renegotiate the price, make up the difference in cash, or walk away. A good agent has already discussed these scenarios with you before the appraisal happens, so you're not making emotional decisions under deadline pressure.
Week 2: Inspection Negotiations and Lender Coordination
The home inspection happens. Issues are found. They always are.
Here's where agent quality becomes obvious. A mediocre agent forwards you the inspection report and asks what you want to do. A good agent:
- Reviews the report before you do and flags what actually matters vs. cosmetic concerns
- Gets contractor estimates for significant repairs so you negotiate with real numbers
- Drafts the inspection response strategically, knowing what sellers typically agree to
- Communicates with the listing agent to understand the seller's flexibility before making demands
In Colorado, the inspection objection deadline is often 7-10 days. If your agent waits until day 9 to send estimates to contractors, you're negotiating blind.
How should my agent communicate during escrow?
You should receive updates at least every 3-4 days, even if the update is "everything is on track." A good agent doesn't wait for you to ask what's happening. They proactively tell you:
- What milestone was just completed
- What's coming up next
- Whether anything needs your attention
- If any deadline is at risk
Radio silence during escrow is a red flag. It usually means your agent isn't checking on things either.
Week 3-4: The Danger Zone
Most deal-killing problems surface in weeks three and four. The appraisal comes back. The title search reveals issues. The lender needs more documentation. Insurance quotes come in higher than expected.
A good agent is managing all of these threads simultaneously:
- Following up with the lender every 2-3 days on underwriting status
- Reviewing title commitment for any exceptions that need resolution
- Coordinating repairs if the seller agreed to fix anything
- Confirming insurance is bound and the lender has the binder
- Scheduling the final walkthrough for 24-48 hours before closing
- Reviewing closing figures before you see them to catch errors
What are the most common reasons deals fall through?
Based on industry data and real transaction experience, deals collapse for these reasons:
- Financing falls through (32% of failed deals) because buyers make credit changes, lenders find issues, or documentation delays push past deadlines
- Inspection issues (21%) when buyers and sellers can't agree on repairs or credits
- Appraisal problems (18%) when the home doesn't appraise at the contract price
- Title issues (14%) including liens, boundary disputes, or ownership problems
- Buyer cold feet (9%) often triggered by poor communication and anxiety
Notice that most of these problems are preventable or manageable with proactive agent work. A good agent is watching for warning signs of each one.
The Final Week: Details That Derail Closings
The last week before closing is when small oversights become big problems.
A good agent is confirming:
- Clear to close from the lender (not "should be any day now")
- Final closing figures reviewed and explained to you
- Wire instructions verified directly with the title company (wire fraud is real)
- Walkthrough scheduled with enough time to address any issues
- All contingencies formally removed in writing
- Keys, codes, and garage openers ready for transfer
When should I do the final walkthrough?
Schedule your final walkthrough 24-48 hours before closing, not the morning of. If you find that the seller left behind a garage full of junk, or the repair they agreed to wasn't done, or there's new damage, you need time to address it before you're sitting at the closing table.
A good agent walks through with a checklist: all agreed repairs completed, all fixtures present, no new damage, property in the condition specified in the contract. They document everything with photos.
The Blue Pebble Difference: Integrated Coordination
When your agent and lender work together as a team, the under-contract period runs differently. There's no game of telephone between separate companies who've never worked together.
Your agent knows the exact loan status without having to chase down updates. Your lender knows about inspection negotiations in real time. Both are looking at the same deadlines and coordinating around them.
This integration eliminates the communication gaps where deals die. The 5-7% failure rate? It drops significantly when everyone is actually on the same team.
How to Know If Your Agent Is Actually Working
Ask your agent this question after your offer is accepted: "Can you walk me through exactly what you'll be doing over the next 30 days?"
If they give you a vague answer about "keeping things on track" or "making sure everything goes smoothly," that's a warning sign. A good agent can tell you specifically:
- Every deadline in your contract
- What happens if each deadline is missed
- Who is responsible for each task
- How they verify things are getting done
- When you'll hear from them and how
The under-contract period is where good agents earn their commission. Not by showing you houses on an app you could use yourself. By managing 30 days of complexity so you can focus on packing.
Key Takeaways
- 5-7% of Colorado real estate deals fall apart after the offer is accepted, usually due to preventable issues during the under-contract period
- Week one sets the foundation: earnest money, inspections, appraisal orders, and title work should all be initiated within 48-72 hours
- Good agents don't forward inspection reports and ask what you want to do. They review them first, get estimates, and draft strategic responses.
- Communication frequency matters: expect updates every 3-4 days minimum, even when there's nothing urgent
- The final walkthrough should happen 24-48 hours before closing, not the morning of, to leave time for issue resolution
- Ask your agent to explain their 30-day plan. If they can't articulate it specifically, they probably don't have one.
- Integrated agent-lender teams reduce failure rates by eliminating communication gaps between separate companies