Settlement

Settlement

Settlement is the formal process performed by the legal and financial agents of both buyer and the seller. It varies from state to state but can take anywhere between 30 and 90 days. Sometimes the length is determined by how long the bank takes to sign off on your mortgage.

On settlement day, your settlement agent (solicitor or conveyancer) meets with your lender and the seller's representatives to exchange documents at an agreed-upon time and location. They arrange for the seller to receive the balance of the purchase price.

Your bank will register a mortgage against the title of your new property to provide the funds for the purchase.


Your solicitor or conveyancer ensures:

Any existing mortgage on the vendor's title is discharged.
Any third party or person with property rights is removed.
All of the terms of the sales contract have been met.
The title office in your state or territory registers the transfer of land and mortgage.

Settlement is the process for transferring property from seller to buyer. An overview on key steps include:

 

  • Both parties agree to a settlement date.
  • Seller and buyer prepare for settlement.
  • The buyer conducts a final inspection.
  • The final payment is calculated.
  • Ownership is transferred from seller to buyer.
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A settlement bank is where a payment or transaction is finally settled and released for use by the customer. Often, the payer of a transaction is a customer of a different bank than the payee, so you need to perform an interbank payment process.

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