From contract to closing: the deadline calendar

Bottom line: after the seller says yes, the deal is won or lost on dates. The Colorado Contract to Buy and Sell is a form with blanks, and every blank date is a deadline. A broker who tracks them calmly closes deals. A broker who forgets one can cost a client real money.

This lesson follows one Colorado broker, Maria, and a buyer named Sam. The seller accepted Sam's offer on Monday, 2026-11-02. The house is a $450,000 home in Boulder County. All the day-counts below are example fill-ins for this story. In a real deal the parties choose the numbers in the form's blanks, so always read the actual contract. The form's section numbers change between versions, so we use section titles.

Words you need first

Earnest money is the buyer's good-faith deposit. It is held by a neutral holder, often the title company or a brokerage trust account, until closing. Title is legal ownership. A title commitment is the title company's promise to insure the buyer, listing what is wrong or unpaid on the property. An HOA (homeowners association) is a neighborhood group that charges dues and makes rules; its papers are the HOA documents. An appraisal is a licensed appraiser's written opinion of value, ordered by the lender. A contingency is a condition that lets a party walk away or renegotiate if it is not met. Objection means written notice that the buyer is unhappy with something found. Resolution means the written deal that settles the objection.

The calendar Maria builds on Day 0

Maria opens the signed contract and copies every date into a table with the date, the item, who acts, and what proof she needs. She does this the same day, because she must keep the file anyway: a broker keeps transaction files for four years (4 CCR 725-1 Rule 6.20).

Date (example)	Item	Maria's action
Mon Nov 2	Contract accepted (Day 0)	Send copies to all parties, the lender, the title company. Open the file.
Thu Nov 5	Earnest money due (3 days)	Confirm funds are in; get a signed, dated receipt.
Mon Nov 9	Seller delivers title commitment, property disclosure and HOA documents (7 days)	Send them to Sam; set a reading meeting.
Thu Nov 12	Inspection objection deadline (10 days)	Inspector's report in hand; decide what to ask for; send written notice.
Mon Nov 16	Inspection resolution deadline and title objection deadline (14 days)	Signed resolution, or Sam decides to terminate or accept.
Fri Nov 20	Appraisal deadline (18 days)	Check the appraisal came in at or above the price.
Wed Nov 25	Loan conditions deadline (23 days)	Lender must confirm loan approval, or Sam acts.
Mon Nov 30	Closing and possession (28 days)	Walk-through, closing statement, keys.

Check the weekdays yourself: Nov 2, 9, 16 and 30 are Mondays; Nov 5, 12 are Thursdays. Thanksgiving is Thursday Nov 26, so the title office and lender are slow that week. Maria plans for it. The form has its own rule for a deadline that lands on a weekend or holiday. Read that section in the version you are using and never guess.

What Maria does on each date

Earnest money (Nov 5). Sam hands Maria a $4,500 check on Nov 4. The rule is clear: a broker who receives earnest money must deliver it to the earnest money holder to be deposited as the contract says, and must get a dated and signed receipt (4 CCR 725-1 Rule 5.12.A). If her brokerage itself holds it, the money must go into the brokerage's trust or escrow account no later than three business days after receipt or mutual execution of the contract, whichever is later (Rule 5.7.B). From Nov 4, three business days is Nov 9, but Maria delivers the same day. Waiting never helps you.

Documents (Nov 9). The title commitment lists liens, easements and exceptions. The HOA documents show dues, rules and the money the association holds. Maria tells Sam to read the HOA budget and any special assessment (a one-time extra charge). She does not tell Sam the documents are fine; that is for Sam, his lender, and his lawyer. She must explain permitted changes to forms and recommend that the parties get expert advice on matters beyond her expertise (Rule 6.14).

Inspection objection (Nov 12). The home inspector finds an old water heater and a cracked sewer line pipe. Sam wants the pipe fixed. Maria drafts the written objection using the Commission-approved form for that purpose, and sends it before the deadline, with proof of delivery. Any change after the original contract has to be in writing as an amendment (Rule 6.14).

Resolution (Nov 16). The seller agrees to a $3,000 credit at closing instead of repairs. Both sign. If they do not agree by the resolution deadline, the form lets the buyer terminate or accept the property as it is. Maria asks Sam, in writing, which one he picks, before the deadline.

Appraisal (Nov 20). The lender will not lend more than the appraised value. If the house appraises at $440,000 and the price is $450,000, there is a $10,000 gap. Sam can renegotiate, bring more cash, or terminate if the form's appraisal section allows it.

Loan and closing. Maria checks in with the lender weekly. Before closing she reviews the closing documents and attends closing or stays reasonably available (Rule 6.19.C). She makes sure each client gets an accurate, complete, detailed closing statement (C.R.S. 12-10-217(1)(j); Rule 6.19.A).

The missed deadline scenario

On Nov 12, Maria is busy and Sam's objection goes out on Nov 13. The seller's broker replies that the objection was late. In the Colorado form, a party who does not act by a stated deadline usually loses the right the deadline protected (confirm the exact result in the section of the version used). Sam may now have to accept the sewer line as is.

What does Maria do? She tells Sam the truth the same day, with no excuse. She asks the seller's side whether they will accept the late notice, put in a signed amendment if they do, and tells her employing broker immediately, because her employing broker is responsible for supervision (C.R.S. 12-10-217(1)(r)). She also checks whether the brokerage carries errors and omissions insurance, which pays for some mistakes. Brokers are not to promise outcomes they cannot control. The best fix is to avoid it: set two phone alarms per deadline, 48 hours and 4 hours before.

One more rule worth knowing: a broker earns a commission only when the sale closes or is defeated by the owner's refusal or neglect (C.R.S. 12-10-301). So Maria's pay depends on all these dates holding.

Example with real numbers

Price $450,000. Sam puts 20% down: $450,000 x 0.20 = $90,000. Loan = $450,000 - $90,000 = $360,000. Earnest money $4,500 (1% of price). Seller credit $3,000.

1. Down payment: $90,000
2. Less earnest money already paid: $90,000 - $4,500 = $85,500 still due
3. Add Sam's estimated lender and title costs: $7,800, so $85,500 + $7,800 = $93,300
4. Subtract the seller's credit: $93,300 - $3,000 = $90,300 cash Sam wires before closing

Maria tells Sam this number on Nov 20, ten days before closing, so he can move the money without panic.

Quick checklist

• Day 0: calendar built, copies out, file opened.
• Every deadline: written notice, proof of delivery, saved in the file.
• Before closing: closing statement checked line by line.
• After closing: file kept four years (Rule 6.20).