Connecticut Real Estate Closing Season: Insights from Franklin & Frankel

Connecticut Real Estate Closing Season: Insights from Franklin & Frankel

Spring is one of the busiest seasons for residential real estate in Connecticut. Given West Hartford’s recent recognition as one of the top 20 best places to live, our local real estate market is particularly vibrant. As attorneys who help buyers and sellers navigate these transactions daily, we’ve seen it all—tight timelines, inspection surprises, and last-minute financing hiccups. We asked our firm’s attorneys, Aaron Frankel, Scott Franklin and Suzanne Neville, to sit down and talk through what buyers and sellers should keep in mind this closing season.

Scott: May and June have always been always our busiest months. I think people try to time moves with the end of the school year or lock in rates before summer. Aaron and Suzanne, what trends are you seeing in the Greater Hartford market this year?

Suzanne: It’s competitive. Towns around the greater Hartford area are seeing low inventory and high demand—again. A lot of buyers are writing clean offers to stay competitive: short inspection windows, tight mortgage contingency periods, and often waiving contingencies altogether.

Aaron: I’ve seen that too. Buyers are under pressure to move quickly, but we’re still responsible for making sure they’re protected. There’s a lot of value in structuring a tight, clean offer that still gives buyers a legal escape if something big turns up on inspection or financing falls through.

Scott: And on the financing side, buyers really need to understand that a pre-approval is just the beginning. The underwriting process can be the place where deals get hung up and it’s really an important place to focus.

Suzanne: Yes, and it’s critical for buyers to be responsive with their lenders to keep things moving. Buyers need to respond to every request from their lender quickly—tax returns, updated pay stubs, bank statements—all of it.

Aaron: That’s one place where we help keep deals moving. If a client’s mortgage commitment date is approaching and there’s no update, we get proactive. We’ll contact the lender, amend the contract if needed, and make sure clients aren’t in breach just because someone was slow to hit “send.”

Scott: Let’s talk about sellers for a second. I’ve seen deals where the seller was still moving out during the buyer’s final walk-through. It always creates tension.

Suzanne: Final walk-throughs are not a formality. Unless the parties have made other arrangements, buyers are expecting the house to be empty, broom clean, and in the condition promised in the contract. Sellers need to be out before that walk-through happens, not during it. That includes all of those old paint cans and dusty tiles in the basement or garage!

Aaron: And that’s especially true in back-to-back closings—when the seller is also buying another property on the same day. If one domino falls, the whole thing can back up. We help our clients game plan those transitions ahead of time so there’s less scrambling on closing day.

Scott: I’ve also had a few closings in older homes, and that’s many homes in our state, where inspections turned up surprises: knob-and-tube wiring, aging oil tanks, even boundary issues.

Suzanne: Yep. And sometimes buyers waive inspections to get the deal, but I always encourage at least an “informational inspection.” You don’t have to negotiate repairs, but it’s smart to know what you’re getting into.

Aaron: Sellers can get ahead of that too. A pre-listing inspection can uncover issues early and avoid renegotiation later. And in condo sales we always tell sellers to order their resale package as soon as the purchase agreement is signed. Delays there can postpone a closing.

Scott: One last thing I’d add: emotions run high this time of year. These are major life transitions. It helps to work with professionals who can keep things calm when unexpected issues pop up.

Suzanne: Agreed. Having responsive agents, lenders, attorneys, and paralegals (like the amazing Kelly Finlay) makes all the difference. We see a huge range of deals: first-timers, relocations, estate sales, divorce-driven sales. Every deal has its own rhythm.

Aaron: It’s a fast-paced season, but we love it. Helping clients through one of the biggest transactions of their lives—especially when it ends with handing over keys or wiring sale proceeds—that’s why we do what we do. And with the right planning, it doesn’t have to be stressful.

Thinking about buying or selling a home in Connecticut this season? Our firm has guided clients through hundreds of successful closings and we’re here to help every step of the way. Reach out to our team to get started.