Key Ways Holidays Delay Closings
- Closing Disclosure timing is counted in business days, so a midweek holiday often forces the earliest signing into the following week.
- Banks may close wire desks and funding channels on federal holidays, creating “dry” signings where you sign but money moves later.
- County recorders and city inspection offices can shut down or shorten hours, delaying deed recording, final inspections, and occupancy timelines.
- Reduced holiday staffing slows final underwriting clears, appraisal repairs, and last-minute document fixes—small issues can turn into multi-day pauses.
Fast Actions That Protect Your Closing Date
- Confirm every lender condition in writing and clear them early, especially insurance, pay stubs, bank statements, and gift documentation.
- Ask when the Closing Disclosure will be issued and acknowledge it immediately, so the three-business-day clock starts without delay.
- Schedule signing early in the day and wire funds one business day ahead when possible, avoiding bank cutoffs and holiday closures.
- If the calendar is tight, negotiate a short contract extension before the deadline, not after a missed date creates leverage.
Top Questions About Holiday VA Loan Closings
What Can I Do to Speed Up Closing Around a Holiday?
Request a written milestone schedule from your lender and title company that lists clear-to-close, Closing Disclosure delivery, signing, funding, and recording dates. Clear underwriting conditions immediately, finalize insurance and payoff items, and avoid last-minute job or credit changes. Plan the wire early and stay reachable for verification calls.
What Other Factors Can Affect a VA Loan Closing Besides Holidays?
Common delays include the VA appraisal schedule, repairs tied to Minimum Property Requirements, title defects, HOA documents, and missing income or asset paperwork. Underwriting may also require updated pay stubs or verification of employment close to signing. Treat every request as time-sensitive and upload documents the same day.
What Are Some Challenges to Closing a VA Loan in December?
December closings compress the calendar, because lenders, appraisers, contractors, and county offices often run reduced hours. More buyers also try to close before year-end, which increases file volume and slows turn times. A late Closing Disclosure, late wire, or unfinished repair can push signing into January.
Key Takeaways
- Holiday business-day rules can push signing dates back even when your loan is approved.
- Three-business-day Closing Disclosure timing excludes Sundays and federal holidays, so calendar math matters most.
- Reduced staffing slows underwriting clears, appraisal repairs, and title corrections during the last two weeks.
- Bank wire cutoffs and recorder closures can separate signing, funding, and key delivery unexpectedly.
- Clear conditions early, confirm the Closing Disclosure receipt, and schedule signing earlier than needed.
- Add a buffer and avoid job, bank, or credit changes until after the deed records.
Will the Holidays Delay a VA Loan Closing?
Yes—holiday weeks can delay a VA loan closing by shrinking business days and closing critical offices. That matters most when your file still has underwriting conditions, appraisal repairs, or title corrections outstanding. Start by mapping the week using the Office of Personnel Management’s federal holiday calendar, then confirm lender and settlement hours against it. One closure can create a chain reaction if other steps depend on that day.
- You may have fewer business days to satisfy final underwriting conditions, so a missing document cannot be fixed until the next open day.
- If your closing depends on a municipal inspection, payoff statement, or deed recording, office closures can block completion even after you sign.
- Reduced staffing at lenders, appraisers, and title companies slows response time, so the same request-and-fix loop takes longer than usual.
Maintain situational awareness by treating the closing date as the output of several dependencies, not as a single appointment. Signing is only one milestone. Funding, deed recording, and key release can be controlled by different parties, each with their own holiday schedule and cutoff times.
- Ask your lender and settlement agent for a dated milestone list: clear-to-close target, Closing Disclosure delivery, signing time, funding cutoff, and recording plan.
- Count forward using business days, then schedule signing earlier than the contract deadline so a one-day slip does not create penalties.
- Confirm who controls keys in your transaction, and whether keys release at signing, at funding, or only after the deed records.
If your contract date is inside a holiday week, build in an operational buffer. The goal is to avoid reaching the final 72 hours with unresolved conditions, because the next available “open day” may be several calendar days away.
VA Loan Resources
- Complete VA Loan Guide – Eligibility, core benefits, and how VA mortgages work.
- VA Loan Requirements – Credit, income, and service rules you need to qualify.
- VA Funding Fee Explained – Rates, exemptions, and how to roll it into your loan.
- VA Loan Closing Costs – Typical fees and how sellers can help pay them.
- VA Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs) – What homes must have to pass the VA appraisal.
- Compare 2–3 VA Lenders – Get personalized rate quotes from vetted VA-approved lenders.
How Does the Closing Disclosure Waiting Period Work During Holiday Weeks?
The Closing Disclosure usually must be received at least three business days before you sign, and federal holidays do not count. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Closing Disclosure overview explains what the disclosure covers and why timing is enforced. When a holiday splits the week, your earliest signing can move by a full day or more, even if everything else is ready.
- The clock is based on business days, so a Closing Disclosure delivered right before a holiday cannot support a next-day signing.
- If the lender must correct key terms late, some changes can trigger a new waiting period, pushing your signing into the next available window.
- Receipt matters: if your lender uses an online portal, open the document promptly and confirm in writing that it counts as received.
The practical execution issue is calendar math. Saturdays generally count in the waiting period, but many settlement offices do not schedule Saturday signings. Use Saturday to help your count, but do not assume Saturday is available for an appointment or for funding.
| When You Receive the Closing Disclosure | Holiday in the Middle of the Count? | Earliest Typical Signing Day |
|---|---|---|
| Monday (no holiday that week) | No | Thursday |
| Monday (holiday on Thursday) | Yes | Friday |
| Wednesday (holiday on Thursday) | Yes | Monday |
| Friday (no holiday the next week) | No | Tuesday |
- As soon as the Closing Disclosure arrives, verify borrower names, property address, interest rate, loan type, and the exact cash-to-close number.
- Ask your lender what date they consider received, then count three business days while excluding Sundays and federal holidays from the total.
- If the settlement statement changes, re-check whether the waiting period must restart, and adjust movers, utilities, and your final walkthrough accordingly.
Keep accountability tight during the final week: respond quickly, confirm receipt timestamps, and avoid last-minute changes that create new disclosures and fresh review requirements.
What Holiday Bottlenecks Delay Funding, Recording, and Keys?
Funding and recording often slip during holiday weeks because banks and offices close or shorten hours. Even if you sign on time, wires may not move and deeds may not record until the next business day. Use the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule to understand when payment systems are closed, then confirm wire cutoffs and recorder hours with your settlement agent. Plan key pickup around funding and recording, not signing.
- A late-day signing can miss bank wire cutoffs, turning a normal closing into a delayed funding that pushes possession to the next business day.
- Recording delays matter because many sellers and landlords release keys only after the deed records, not when you finish signing documents.
- Year-end schedules can slow payoffs, HOA statements, and final title updates, which are common prior-to-funding conditions on the last page of your checklist.
If you want a high state of readiness, separate the concepts of “signing,” “funding,” and “recording” on your calendar. Each one can be delayed by different closures. Your plan should name the owner of each milestone and the latest safe completion time.
| Closing Milestone | Who Owns It | What Commonly Delays It | Best Preventive Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Underwriting Clearance | Lender | Missing documents, updated verifications, reduced staffing | Upload documents same day and confirm conditions are cleared in writing |
| Signing Appointment | Title Company / Settlement Agent | Calendar compression, document corrections, scheduling gaps | Schedule early in the week and early in the day for flexibility |
| Funding | Lender + Bank + Title Company | Wire cutoffs, banking holidays, fraud verification holds | Wire one business day early and confirm receipt before cutoff time |
| Recording | County Recorder | Office closures, reduced hours, processing backlog | Confirm recorder availability and whether e-recording is supported |
| Key Release / Possession | Seller / Agent / Title Company | Keys tied to funding or recording, delayed disbursement | Confirm the key release trigger in writing before moving schedules |
- Ask the title company for its funding cutoff time and whether it releases keys at signing, at funding confirmation, or after county recording posts.
- If you must wire funds, request wiring instructions early, verify your bank’s daily limit, and schedule the transfer before morning cutoffs.
- Confirm how recording will happen for your file—paper versus e-recording—and build a backup possession plan if recording is delayed overnight.
Holiday weeks reward early execution. If you sign early and fund early, you preserve flexibility for recording and key release even when offices are operating on reduced hours.
How Can I Speed Up Closing Around a Holiday?
You can speed up a holiday closing by clearing conditions early and removing avoidable rework. One of the wins for VA loans is confirming your entitlement and documents upfront, including your Certificate of Eligibility. If you do not already have it, use VA’s process to request a VA home loan COE and track status. Then ask your lender for a written list of remaining conditions and a target clear-to-close date.
- Submit every requested document the same day it is asked for, because underwriting queues grow quickly during holiday staffing reductions.
- Finalize homeowners insurance early and ensure the policy shows correct borrower names, property address, and mortgagee clause to avoid re-issuing disclosures.
- Keep your file stable: avoid opening new credit, changing jobs, or moving large funds between accounts, which can trigger new verification conditions.
If you are active duty and your income includes Military pay items, keep your documentation clean. Updated LES or pay statements arriving late can create new questions that must be resolved before clear-to-close is issued.
- Request a conditions checklist and set daily check-ins until it is cleared, so you do not lose days waiting for a follow-up email.
- Ask for the projected Closing Disclosure issue date, then commit to reviewing it within hours, not days, and send corrections in writing.
- Move the signing appointment earlier in the week and earlier in the day, which preserves flexibility for funding and recording before closures.
If the calendar is too tight to execute safely, negotiate an extension before the contract deadline. A short, proactive amendment is usually cleaner than a missed date that forces renegotiation under pressure.
What Other Factors Can Delay a VA Loan Closing Besides Holidays?
Non-holiday delays usually come from appraisal, property condition, documentation, or title issues. VA loans still require the property to meet Minimum Property Requirements, and required repairs must be completed before the lender can close. The VA Lender’s Handbook outlines how appraisal and value decisions work and what must be resolved. Track these items early so they do not collide with holiday closures.
- VA appraisal scheduling can be the long pole, and any repairs for safety or livability must be completed and re-verified before closing.
- Title problems like unreleased liens, boundary questions, or missing HOA documents often take days to cure when third parties must respond.
- Income and asset verification can reset near the finish line, requiring updated pay stubs, bank statements, or explanations for large deposits.
Execution failures usually look small: a missing page in a bank statement, an unsigned letter of explanation, or an incomplete repair invoice. During holiday weeks, those small gaps become large delays because the next available reviewer or office day may be farther away.
- Order the VA appraisal immediately after contract, and if repairs are flagged, schedule contractors fast and document completion with receipts and photos.
- Ask your title company for a preliminary title commitment early, then review exceptions and clear lien releases before the last week.
- Keep a running open-issues list with owners and due dates, and escalate anything that depends on a third party immediately.
For Veteran buyers, the best defense is a simple tracking system: what is open, who owns it, and when it must be cleared to protect the closing date.
How Do I Plan Cash-to-Close Around Bank Holidays?
Plan cash-to-close as if same-day money movement will fail. Bank availability rules and holiday cutoffs can delay wires, cashier’s checks, and deposit posting. The Federal Reserve’s Regulation CC guidance explains how banks define business days and cutoffs for funds availability, which helps you avoid last-minute surprises. Build a buffer so you can fund even if a holiday or weekend interrupts processing.
- Get wiring instructions early and validate them by phone using a trusted number, because holiday staffing increases fraud and miscommunication risk.
- Ask your bank about daily wire limits and cutoff times, and assume a late-afternoon signing cannot support a same-day wire.
- If you are using gift funds or VA-related deposits, move money into the correct account early so it is available and documented before underwriting review.
Cash-to-close problems are often avoidable with early confirmation. The settlement agent should be able to tell you whether they require a wire, accept a cashier’s check, or allow a combination, along with the latest safe arrival time for funds.
- Request the final cash-to-close number as early as possible, then confirm whether the title company requires a wire or will accept a cashier’s check.
- Initiate the wire one business day before closing when you can, and keep proof of transfer so funding can be verified quickly.
- Avoid making large, unexplained deposits during the final week, because they can trigger new sourcing requirements that stall underwriting clearance.
When you build a one-business-day buffer into funding, you reduce the probability that a holiday closure turns into a delayed possession date.
The bottom line
Holiday closings fail for predictable reasons: fewer business days, closed wire and recording channels, and slower turnaround on underwriting conditions. Your highest-impact move is to build a milestone calendar early—Closing Disclosure delivery, signing, funding, and recording—and then work the tasks on the critical path first. Clear conditions the same day they are issued, keep your job and credit stable, and wire funds before cutoff times. If the week is compressed, sign earlier in the day and earlier in the week, or negotiate a short extension before you miss the contract date. For VA loans, confirm entitlement early and keep your COE documentation ready; VA’s home loan eligibility guidance explains what lenders typically need. A disciplined buffer reduces stress, protects possession timing, and keeps your closing from sliding into the next business week.
References Used
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Federal Holidays Count as Business Days for Closing Disclosures?
For the Closing Disclosure waiting period, federal holidays are excluded from the business-day count. That means a holiday midweek can push your earliest signing back. Confirm the count with your lender using the exact receipt date.
Does Saturday Count as a Business Day for the Closing Disclosure Rule?
Yes, Saturdays generally count as business days for the Closing Disclosure waiting period, but many settlement offices do not schedule weekend signings. Use Saturday as counting leverage, not a guaranteed appointment day, and verify local availability.
What's the Difference Between Signing, Funding, and Recording?
Signing is when you execute loan documents. Funding is when the lender releases money to the title company. Recording is when the deed is filed with the county. Holiday closures can separate these events into different days.
Can I Close If the County Recorder Is Closed?
You may be able to sign documents, but recording could wait until the recorder reopens. If keys are tied to recording, you may not get possession immediately. Ask your settlement agent what triggers key release in your contract.
How Far in Advance Should I Order Homeowners Insurance for a Holiday Closing?
Start the insurance order as soon as you have a contract and lender contact information. Holiday staffing can slow policy updates and binder delivery. Confirm the policy lists correct names, address, and mortgagee clause before Closing Disclosure issuance.
Can I Get Keys the Day I Sign?
Sometimes, but many transactions release keys only after funding or after the deed records. In holiday weeks, signing may happen while funding is delayed by bank closures. Confirm key release rules with your agent and title company.
Can a VA Appraisal Delay Closing in December?
Yes. VA appraisal scheduling and any repair requirements can add days, and contractor availability often drops in late December. If the appraisal flags Minimum Property Requirements repairs, completion and reinspection can push closing past the holiday window.
What Changes Should I Avoid While I'm Under Contract?
Avoid opening new credit, financing a car, changing jobs, or moving large funds between accounts. These changes can trigger new verifications and delays. Keep your bank balances and payroll stable until after funding and recording.
How Much Buffer Should I Add to My Contract Closing Date?
A three-to-five business-day buffer is common around major holidays, especially if repairs, HOA documents, or gift funds are involved. Your goal is to avoid hitting the deadline with unresolved conditions. Ask your agent what deadlines are enforceable.
What Documents Should I Have Ready for a Faster VA Closing?
Have your latest Leave and Earnings Statement or pay stubs, W-2s, bank statements, photo ID, and homeowners insurance contact ready. If using VA eligibility, have your Certificate of Eligibility available. Fast document delivery reduces underwriting back-and-forth during holidays.
