The Maryland Home-Selling Process: Your Step-by-Step Checklist

Look at more than just the price. Compare the financing type (cash vs. loan), the size of the earnest money deposit, the closing date, contingencies for inspection and financing, and any seller credits the buyer is asking for. Your agent should lay them out in a simple grid so you can compare apples to apples.

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Before you accept an offer, look at the buyer's pre-approval letter from a lender or, for a cash offer, their proof of funds. A pre-approval is stronger than a pre-qualification. If a letter is missing or vague, ask for a better one — financing falls through more than first-time sellers expect.

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Maryland fair housing law (Md. Code State Government §20-705) goes beyond the federal Fair Housing Act and bans discrimination on extra grounds, including source of income. You cannot reject a buyer just because their down payment comes from a housing voucher, a gift, or government assistance. Stick to objective offer terms — price, financing strength, contingencies — when comparing.

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You don't have to take the first offer as written. You can counter on price, closing date, repairs, contingencies, or seller credits. Counter in writing through your agent so every change is documented. Stay focused on your net proceeds and your timing, not on 'winning' the negotiation.

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Most Maryland residential deals use the Maryland REALTORS (MAR) Residential Contract of Sale. It covers the purchase price, financing contingency, inspection contingency, settlement date, post-settlement occupancy, and points to the required disclosures (like the §10-702 disclosure or disclaimer, and any HOA or condo resale package). Read every page before signing — once both sides sign, the clock starts on the contingency deadlines.

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After signing, the buyer must deposit earnest money — usually 1-3% of the price — into the listing broker's trust account or the settlement company's escrow account. Your agent's broker is responsible for handling this deposit under Maryland's trust account rules. Get written confirmation that the money has been received.

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Maryland is generally an attorney-state for closings, so a Maryland-licensed attorney usually conducts or supervises settlement. The buyer typically picks the settlement company, but you can pick your own if that's negotiated. A Maryland licensee cannot require you to use a specific lender or settlement company.

Cost: $0 (fees paid at closing)

Make sure the buyer receives every signed disclosure: the Maryland Residential Property Disclosure or Disclaimer Statement, the federal lead-based paint disclosure if your home is pre-1978, your HOA or condo resale package if applicable, and any conservation easement notice if your property is subject to one under §10-705. If a required disclosure isn't delivered, the buyer can sometimes back out or sue later.

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The contract has dates for the buyer's inspection, financing, appraisal, HOA/condo document review, and any home-sale contingency. Put each deadline on your calendar. Once a deadline passes without the buyer objecting, that contingency typically goes away. Your agent should send you reminders, but watch them yourself too.

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The buyer will need to come back several times for the home inspection, any specialty inspections (radon, termite, well, septic), the appraisal, and the final walkthrough. Be flexible with scheduling. Either be out of the house during those visits or stay out of the way.

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The buyer may ask for documents (warranties, receipts for repairs, utility bills, manuals) or have follow-up questions about the property. Send them promptly through your agent. Slow responses make buyers nervous and can put the deal at risk.

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The buyer will hire a licensed home inspector to look at the house — usually a 2 to 4 hour visit. They'll check the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and major appliances. You don't need to be present; in fact most agents recommend you leave so the buyer can ask the inspector questions freely.

Cost: $0 (buyer pays the inspector)

Once the buyer shares the report, read it through and flag anything you didn't know about. Some items are normal wear, some are real safety issues, and some are old. Your agent can help you separate what's likely to come back as a repair request from what's just informational.

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The buyer will usually send a written request asking for specific repairs, a credit at closing, or a price reduction. You can agree, counter, refuse, or offer a mix. Closing credits are often simpler than scheduling actual repairs before closing. Respond by the deadline in the contract — missing it can give the buyer the right to walk.

Cost: Varies

If your home is on a private well, Maryland law allows water-quality testing as a condition of sale under Md. Code Real Property §10-713, and most lenders for FHA and VA loans require it. Septic systems may also need to be inspected or pumped. Coordinate access for the testers and make sure your disclosure form accurately listed the water and sewage systems and the approved bedroom count.

Cost: $200-600 typical

If your home is pre-1978 and the buyer ordered a lead-based paint inspection or risk assessment within the 10-day federal window, review the findings. You don't have to fix anything by law as a one-time owner-occupied seller, but the buyer can choose to walk away. If the property is a rental, Maryland's Lead Risk Reduction in Housing Act imposes stricter registration and remediation obligations that may already apply to you.

Cost: Varies

The buyer's lender hires an independent appraiser to visit your home and estimate its value. The visit usually takes 30-60 minutes. Make sure the house is clean and that the appraiser can get to every room, the attic, the basement, and any outbuildings.

Cost: $0 (buyer pays the appraisal)

Hand the appraiser a short list of any upgrades you've done (new roof, new HVAC, kitchen or bath remodel, finished basement) with rough costs and dates, plus any recent nearby sales you think support your price. Appraisers are independent, but giving them real information makes a low appraisal less likely.

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If the appraisal comes in below the contract price, the lender will only loan based on the lower value. You have options: lower the price to the appraised value, ask the buyer to pay the gap in cash, split the difference, or challenge the appraisal with new comps. If you can't agree, the buyer can usually walk on the appraisal contingency and get their earnest money back.

Cost: Varies

Once the lender finishes underwriting and clears the loan, the buyer should remove their financing contingency in writing. Until that happens, the buyer can still back out if their loan falls through. Have your agent confirm the loan is cleared to close before you sign anything irrevocable like a move-out plan.

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Finish every repair you committed to in the inspection negotiation. Keep receipts and, where possible, photos of the work. The buyer will check during the final walkthrough, and missing repairs can delay closing or trigger a credit at the last minute.

Cost: Varies

The buyer will do a final walkthrough 24-48 hours before closing to confirm the house is in the condition the contract says it should be, agreed repairs are done, and nothing has been damaged during your move-out. Make sure the home is empty (or as agreed), clean, and ready.

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If you're not a U.S. person for tax purposes (a 'foreign person' under federal law), the buyer's settlement agent must withhold a percentage of the gross sale price — generally 15% — and send it to the IRS under FIRPTA. Separately, if you're not a Maryland resident, the settlement agent must withhold under Md. Code Tax-General §10-912, filed on Form MW506NRS at recording. Tell your settlement attorney early so there are no surprises at closing.

Cost: Withholding off proceeds, not out-of-pocket

Your settlement attorney will need a written payoff statement from your lender showing the exact amount needed to pay off your current loan on the closing date. Call your lender and ask for it — most charge a small fee. If you have a HELOC or second mortgage, get a payoff for that one too.

Cost: $0-50 typical

Contact your electric, gas, water, internet, trash, and homeowner's insurance providers and set your cancellation or transfer dates for the day after closing. Don't cancel them earlier — the buyer's final walkthrough needs lights, water, and HVAC working. Tell the post office to forward your mail.

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If your home has an HOA or condo association, tell them you're selling and give them the closing date. They'll need to issue a final assessment statement, transfer the account, and may charge a small transfer fee that gets paid at closing.

Cost: $50-300 typical

In Maryland, closing — called 'settlement' — is conducted or supervised by a licensed Maryland attorney. You'll sign the deed, the closing disclosure, the affidavit of nonforeign status (or FIRPTA paperwork if you are foreign), and any other transfer documents. Bring a government photo ID and any final paperwork your attorney asked for. Sellers sometimes sign in advance by power of attorney if they can't be there in person.

Cost: Closing costs deducted from your proceeds

Maryland closings include a state transfer tax (generally 0.5% of the price under Md. Code Tax-Property §13-207), a county recordation tax, and in many counties a local transfer tax. Baltimore City and Montgomery County have additional surcharges and tiered rates. Your settlement attorney will calculate these, but check that the numbers on your settlement statement match what your contract said about who pays what.

Cost: 0.5%+ of sale price (typical state share)

Maryland has an unusual rule: if your buyer is a first-time Maryland homebuyer using the home as a principal residence, the state transfer tax is reduced from 0.5% to 0.25%, and that 0.25% must be paid entirely by you, the seller, no matter what the contract says. You can't push it back onto the buyer by contract. Confirm this with your settlement attorney early so it doesn't change your net proceeds at the last minute.

Cost: 0.25% of sale price (if applicable)

After signing and once the attorney confirms the deed is being recorded, give all keys, garage remotes, mailbox keys, gate fobs, and any access codes (alarm, smart lock, gate) to the buyer or the attorney. If you've negotiated a post-settlement occupancy where you stay past closing, follow whatever the contract says.

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Maryland's Wet Settlement Procedure Act controls when proceeds can be disbursed after recording. Your settlement attorney will either wire your net proceeds to your bank or hand you a check, usually the same day or the next business day after closing. Wire transfers are faster but watch out for last-minute wire-fraud emails — call your attorney with a known number to confirm wire details before you send anything yourself.

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Hold on to your settlement statement, deed copies, and any FIRPTA or MW506NRS withholding receipts. You'll need them for your federal and Maryland tax returns, especially to calculate any capital gain or to claim back over-withheld nonresident tax. Tax pros generally recommend keeping these for at least 7 years.

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