Do the appliances come with the house? How about the shed? Window treatments? Ceiling Fans? Pool table?

These are all examples of personal property which typically convey with the house in the State of Maryland. When the seller executes a listing agreement with his agent he also fills out a Property Inclusion/Exclusion Addendum. The listing agent makes (or should make) this information available to the buyers and buyer's agent, it often is included in the seller's disclosure packet.

Buyers can see exactly which fixtures and personal property is included and whether or not there is anything that is specifically excluded from the sale. The Residential Contract of Sale includes a paragraph where all the applicable items can be checked off as well.

It is important to note that the Inclusion/Exclusion Addendum supersedes the Residential Contract of Sale in that respect. If the Addendum is part of the contract but lists different information, then that is what counts.

What about the pool table that fit perfectly into the basement? If it's not listed on the addendum then the seller wasn't planning on including it in the sale. However, that doesn't mean he won't consider it. It never hurts to ask!

All personal property should also be the same as of the date of contract execution. That means that the seller cannot just decide to take the brand-new stainless steel fridge to his new home and replace it with a 15 year old model. The personal property you saw and which is checked on either the Inclusion/Exclusion Addendum or the Residential Contract of Sale or both, is the personal property that conveys with the house.

Yes, this house was for sale! My buyer passed on it. It looked like the seller really loved his old appliances and decided to take the best ones out. It's not something I would advice my clients to do but he is free to do so.

Since it was done before the house was offered for sale, these mismatched appliances conveyed (unless the buyer's agent negotiated for replacement or a credit).

The missing vent was (hopefully) asked to be taken care of via the home inspection repair addendum.

Congratulations! You are under contract to purchase your new Silver Spring, MD home and have successfully completed the home inspection, negotiated repairs and are now sprinting towards closing.

But a lot has to happen still - the appraisal, final loan commitment, title work, termite inspection, utility transfers ... which usually take another 3 - 5 weeks (on average).  One of the questions that I get asked frequently by my Silver Spring, MD home buyers is if they can see the house again before closing. They want to take measurements of the rooms, take more pictures to plan furniture arrangements, perhaps meet with a contractor to get some estimates, show it off to family who is only in town for a few days ...

YES, you will get the chance to see the house one more time before closing. According to the MD Residential Contract of Sale the buyer reserves the right to inspect the property within five days prior to settlement.

This is what we call the final walk through during which we make sure that the property is vacant and free of trash and debris and in the same condition as of the date of contract ratification (or home inspection). We don't want to wait until the last minute to conduct the final walk through but the seller should have moved out completely before we do so.

The final walk through is the one visit to the property that you are guaranteed before closing. Any other visits, however, are at the discretion of the seller, he/she does not have to grant you access for any other reason.

Although more can sometimes be arranged, it is not always possible, and you should plan on taking pictures and measurements when we are at the property for the home inspection or any prior visit.

Silver Spring, MD Home Buying FAQ: Can I see the house again before closing?