The Closing
The closing or "passing of papers" is the event, after all is said and done, that actually confers home ownership upon you. It can be held at the closing attorney’s office, the Registry of Deeds, or any place else which is mutually acceptable to everyone. Generally, the parties present include the buyer, the seller, the closing attorney, the Real Estate brokers, and any additional legal counsel hired by either party.You will hopefully have had the opportunity to do a "final walk through" of the property the day before or morning of the closing. If this final inspection revealed any potential issues, talk about them first, before you sign any papers.
The closing attorney will review and explain each and every document that you and the seller will be required to sign. Make sure your writing hand is in good shape because the buyer always has many more papers to sign than the seller!
When everything is signed and the balance of monies due has been given to the closing attorney (in a bank check or certified funds), the new deed, the mortgage, and other legal documents will be brought to the appropriate Registry of Deeds to be recorded. The recording makes it a legal transaction and tells the world that you are now the owner of the property.