What Not to Do Before Closing on a Home in Palm Beach County

What should you avoid doing while under contract on a home in Florida?

Once you're under contract to buy a home in Palm Beach County, your lender is still actively reviewing your financial profile — and changes can delay or jeopardize your loan approval. The most important things to avoid are opening new credit accounts, making major purchases, changing jobs, making unusual bank deposits or transfers, and co-signing on anyone else's debt. Your goal is to keep your financial picture exactly as your lender approved it until you have keys in hand.

Going under contract is one of the best moments in the home-buying process.

Your offer was accepted. You've cleared the first major hurdle. The home feels like it's already yours.

But here's what a lot of buyers in Palm Beach County don't realize: the under-contract period is where deals fall apart. Not because of the seller. Not because of the market. Because of something the buyer did — or didn't do — with their finances.

I've been working with buyers here since 1989, and this is one of the most important conversations I have with every single client. Your lender isn't done with you after the offer is accepted. They're still watching.

Why Lenders Keep Reviewing Your File After Acceptance

When your offer is accepted, underwriting doesn't stop. Your lender continues reviewing your credit, income, employment, assets, and overall debt load — often right up until the day you close.

That final clear-to-close isn't automatic. It's conditional on your financial profile staying consistent with what was originally approved.

Anything that changes your debt-to-income ratio, shifts your credit score, or raises questions about your asset documentation can trigger new conditions — adding time, adding paperwork, and in some cases, putting your loan at risk entirely.

The good news? Every one of these pitfalls is avoidable. You just have to know the rules going in.

5 Things Not to Do While You're Under Contract

These are the most common mistakes buyers make between acceptance and closing. Each one seems minor in the moment. Each one can cost you the deal — or delay it at exactly the wrong time.

1. Don't open new credit accounts.

A new credit card, car loan, or even store financing for furniture you're planning to put in the new house can change your debt-to-income ratio and pull down your credit score. Lenders run credit again before closing. A new account — even one you haven't touched — can be enough to push you outside your approved parameters.

Wait. All of it can wait until after closing.

2. Don't make major purchases before closing.

You already know where the sectional goes. I get it. But appliances, furniture, a new car — any major purchase can surface as new debt or unexpectedly shift your asset picture in ways that require documentation and explanation.

I tell every buyer the same thing: buy whatever you want — the day after closing.

3. Keep your job and income steady.

This is the one that surprises people most. Even a promotion can create problems if it changes your compensation structure — say, from a straight salary to a commission-based role. Lenders typically re-verify employment within days of closing. A job change, even to a better opportunity, can require a full re-documentation of your income.

Stay put until you have the keys. Then celebrate the new job.

4. Be careful with large deposits and transfers.

Unusual activity in your bank accounts requires sourcing and documentation. A large deposit from a family member, a transfer between personal accounts, or proceeds from selling a vehicle can all trigger underwriting questions — even if the explanation is completely straightforward.

If you know gift funds are coming your way or you're planning to move money around, coordinate with your lender before it happens. A documented transaction is far easier to work with than an unexplained one.

5. Don't co-sign on anyone else's loan.

This one catches people off guard. If a family member asks you to co-sign on a car loan or personal loan while you're under contract, the answer has to be no — for now. Even though you're not the borrower, co-signing makes you legally responsible for that debt. It shows up on your credit report and gets counted in your debt-to-income calculation.

Help them after closing. Not before.

What Lenders Are Actually Looking For

Here's the frame that makes this easier to understand.

Your lender approved you based on a specific financial snapshot taken at a specific point in time. Between that snapshot and closing day, their job is to confirm that snapshot is still accurate.

They're not trying to find a reason to say no. They're managing risk — theirs and yours. Your job is to give them nothing new to review.

That means keeping your bank balances consistent, your debt stable, your employment unchanged, and your credit profile quiet. It means responding quickly when your loan officer asks for documents. And it means asking questions before you act — not after.

If something does change unexpectedly — a job disruption, a necessary large purchase, an emergency — the best move is to call your lender immediately. A planned conversation is always easier to navigate than a surprise on the underwriter's desk.

This is also where having a real estate agent who is genuinely on your side makes a difference. I'm with my clients through this entire window — not just the offer. If you're asking yourself "is this okay to do right now?" that's exactly the kind of question to bring to me before you act.

The Mindset That Gets You to Closing

The under-contract period can start to feel passive. The inspection is done. The appraisal came back. You're waiting on the lender, waiting on the title company, waiting on the date.

But this isn't a waiting game. It's an active period of protecting the approval you already earned.

Buyers who treat it that way close on time. Buyers who treat it like the finish line — and start spending and switching jobs and opening accounts — can find themselves scrambling. Or worse, watching their closing get pushed back in a market where timing matters.

And Palm Beach County is a market where timing absolutely matters. If you've been watching this market at all, you know delays have real financial consequences for Florida buyers — especially when rates shift or competing offers emerge on the same property you're trying to close on.

The buyers I see sail through to closing are the ones who stay in constant communication with their lender, give their agent a heads-up about anything that feels even slightly unusual, and resist the urge to make any financial moves until the keys are in their hand.

It's a short window. You can do this.

If you're buying in Palm Beach County — whether in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Delray Beach, Wellington, or anywhere in between — and you want a team that walks you through every step of the process, we'd love to help.

Call or text us at 561-352-3056 or visit treugroup.com to start your search. We work with buyers across Palm Beach, Martin, and Broward Counties, and keeping clients informed and confident at every stage — including this one — is what we do.

For more Palm Beach County real estate tips and local market insight, subscribe to the Lisa Treu YouTube channel.

New videos and Shorts go up regularly — buying guides, seller strategies, and a real look at what's happening in the market right now.

About Lisa Treu
Lisa Treu is the CEO of Treu Group Real Estate and has been helping people buy and sell across Palm Beach County since 1989. She specializes in luxury homes, waterfront properties, and new construction in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Delray Beach, Wellington, and the Avenir community, and is known for marketing and negotiation that gets results for sellers and buyers alike. Lisa is also a featured host on American Dream TV and a real estate radio expert.