"The are all there," Elias said, signing the first page. "I fixed the leak in the guest bath last month. No hidden defects."

"The will reach out on Monday," she said, sliding the folder into her bag. "Right," Elias replied. "Standard procedure."

"You’re asking for a ?" he asked, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You lived here for four years, Sarah. You know the water heater groans at 6:00 AM."

Sarah nodded, taking the pen from him. As she signed the final line, the "Seller" and "Buyer" labels became official. The agreement was now a legally binding promise. No more "ours"—just a structured transfer of title, a , and a set of keys left on a cold marble counter.

"It’s a legal protection, Elias. Just like the . My bank needs to ensure the appraisal matches the loan amount before they clear the funds."