What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted in Central Mississippi?

By April Smith | July 1, 2026

Getting the call that your offer was accepted is a wonderful feeling. Then, about four minutes later, a quieter question shows up: now what?

You are not alone in asking it. It is one of the most common things buyers in Brandon, Flowood, Madison, and Ridgeland are searching right now, and for good reason. The stretch between "under contract" and "keys in hand" has a lot of moving parts, and most of them come with a deadline. The good news is that this path is well worn. I walk clients through it every month, and once you can see the whole map, the anxiety settles down considerably.

Here is what to expect, step by step, in a Central Mississippi transaction.

The road from "under contract" to closing

Most Central Mississippi purchases follow the same sequence over about 30 to 45 days. Here is the order things typically happen:

1. You go under contract and deliver earnest money. Within a day or two of acceptance, you submit earnest money, usually somewhere around 1 percent of the purchase price, though the exact amount is negotiable. It does not go to the seller. It goes into an escrow account typically held by the buyer's brokerage unless otherwise agreed upon.
2. You schedule your home inspection. This is your 10 day due diligence window to learn what you are really buying. A general home inspection in Mississippi usually runs about $325 to $525, and the buyer typically pays for it. The inspector checks the roof, foundation, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and the visible structure, then hands you a report that can feel intimidatingly long. More on how to handle that below.
3. Your lender orders the appraisal. Your lender hires a licensed appraiser to confirm the home is worth what you agreed to pay. This protects the lender, and honestly it protects you too.
4. You finish loan underwriting. While all of the above is happening, your lender is verifying income, assets, and credit, and lining up your homeowners insurance. You will want to avoid big financial moves here, so this is not the month to finance a new truck or open a store credit card.
5. The wood destroying insect report gets ordered. This is a Mississippi staple. Almost every closing that involves a lender requires an official Wood Destroying Insect Report, sometimes called a termite inspection, completed by a licensed pest control operator and typically paid for and ordered by the seller. Our climate is warm and humid, which our foundations love a little too much, so lenders want this in the file.
6. The closing attorney runs the title search. In Mississippi, closing is handled by a real estate attorney rather than an escrow company, and one of their main jobs is confirming the title is clean. They check for liens, unpaid taxes, and ownership issues, then prepare the title commitment. A residential title review often takes just a couple of days once it starts.
7. You do a final walkthrough. A day or two before closing, you and your agent walk the home one more time to confirm it is in the agreed condition and that any negotiated repairs are done.
8. You close. You get your Closing Disclosure ahead of time so you can review your final numbers, then you sign at the attorney's office, funds change hands, and the deed is recorded. After recording, the keys are yours.

That is the whole journey. Now let me point out the parts that are specific to Mississippi, because they surprise a lot of folks moving in from other states.

What makes closing in Mississippi a little different

If your last home purchase was in another state, a few things here will feel new.

A closing attorney runs the show. Mississippi treats a real estate closing as the practice of law, so an attorney handles it instead of a title or escrow company managing everything. That is a feature, not a bug. You have a legal professional making sure the title transfers cleanly and the documents are right.

You will sign a deed of trust, not a mortgage. Mississippi customarily uses a deed of trust, which brings in a neutral third party called a trustee who holds the title in trust until your loan is paid off. You still live in, maintain, and own the home in every way that matters day to day. It is mostly a behind-the-scenes legal structure, and your attorney will explain it at the table.

There is no state transfer tax. Some buyers relocating here brace for a transfer tax because they paid one where they came from. Mississippi does not have a state or local real estate transfer tax, just standard recording fees. That is a small, pleasant surprise for your bottom line.

Title insurance has a local custom. In Central Mississippi it is customary for the seller to pay for the owner's title policy and the buyer to pay for the lender's policy, though like almost everything in a contract, who pays what is negotiable. Your attorney and I will make sure the settlement statement reflects what you actually agreed to.

What can slow things down, and how to stay on track

Deals rarely fall apart out of nowhere. They wobble at predictable spots, and each one has a plan.

The inspection report. Your report will list dozens of items, and that is normal even on a great house. You will work with your agent to to identify significant items you want the seller to consider repairing. These are non-cosmetic items and the norm is to stick with the items that have to do with systems (like plumbing, hvac, electrical), structure (foundation, roof, etc), and safety items. 

A low appraisal. If the appraisal comes back under your contract price, your lender will only finance the lower number, which leaves a gap. You have options, and none of them require panic. I cover them in detail in my guide on what happens if the appraisal comes in low in Central Mississippi, from renegotiating to requesting a reconsideration of value.

Financing hiccups. Underwriting can ask for one more document at what feels like the worst possible moment. Respond quickly, keep your finances boringly steady, and this stays a bump rather than a roadblock.

Title surprises. Occasionally the search turns up an old lien or a boundary question. This is exactly why we have a closing attorney, and most of these get cleared well before closing day.

Here is the honest part. Every one of these steps has a deadline written into your contract, and the contingencies that protect your earnest money only work if you hit those dates. That is a big reason having an experienced local agent matters. Keeping your timeline on track, and knowing which deadline is load-bearing, is a large part of what I do for buyers. If you are still choosing who to work with, my post on how to choose a real estate agent in Central Mississippi is a good place to start.

One more note for anyone selling and buying at the same time. Brandon has been moving quickly, with many homes going under contract in a matter of weeks, so the timing of your two transactions deserves a real plan rather than a hope. If a sale is part of your move, my breakdown of what it really costs to sell a house in Central Mississippi will help you see both sides of the ledger. That is a conversation worth having early.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to close on a house in Mississippi?

Most Central Mississippi purchases close in about 30 to 45 days from the day you go under contract, with roughly 36 days being typical when a mortgage is involved. Cash purchases can move faster because there is no loan underwriting or appraisal to wait on.

Who holds my earnest money in Mississippi?

Your earnest money is deposited into an account held by the buyer's brokerage, typically.  If you cancel under a valid, timely contingency such as inspection, financing, appraisal, or title, you generally get it back, and at closing it is credited toward your costs.

Do I need an attorney to close on a home in Mississippi?

Yes. Mississippi is an attorney-closing state, which means a real estate attorney handles the closing, runs the title search, and records the deed rather than an escrow or title company running the show. It is a built-in layer of legal protection for your purchase.

Can I back out after the home inspection?

If your contract includes an inspection contingency and you act within the deadline, you can typically cancel and keep your earnest money. Backing out after your contingencies have expired, or without a valid contractual reason, can put your earnest money at risk, so timing is everything.

What is a wood destroying insect report, and do I need one?

It is an official inspection, often called a termite letter, completed by a licensed pest control operator that reports the presence, absence, or prior damage from wood destroying insects in the visible areas of the home. In Mississippi, lenders almost always require one before closing. In our area, these are normally paid for and ordered by the seller. 

Your next step

The path from an accepted offer to the closing table has a lot of steps, but it is a known path, and you do not have to memorize it. You just need someone walking it with you who knows where the deadlines and the potholes are.

If you want to know exactly what to expect at every stage of buying a home in Central Mississippi, whether you are touring homes next month or just starting to map out your plan, the Home Buyer Roadmap walks you through all of it, step by step. And when you are ready for a real person to guide you the rest of the way, I would be glad to be that person.

About April Smith
April Smith is a REALTOR® and Broker Associate with Southern Homes Real Estate, serving Brandon, Flowood, Pearl, Madison, Ridgeland and the surrounding Central Mississippi communities. She specializes in strategic marketing plans for every listing, drawing on her 20+ years of experience in media production and marketing prior to real estate. She works with first-time buyers, move-up buyers, and seniors, guiding each of them through every step of the process. Licensed since 2020 and holding the ABR, PSA, and C2EX designations, she ranks in the top 10% of the Central Mississippi MLS and is known for five-star client service across Google and Zillow. Her work is guided by her Christian faith and a commitment to serving every client with honesty, integrity, and the kind of attentive care that makes her clients feel personally guided through every step.