Jaken Finance Group · Updated
A Berwyn closing can involve the seller, buyer, city inspectors, a plumber, attorneys, the title company, and a lender. Giving each person a clear assignment matters. A completed loan file cannot answer an unresolved municipal inspection, and a paid tax stamp does not settle the buyer’s repair plan.
Use this Berwyn property closing checklist from the first discussion about selling through the final handoff. The checklist below can be printed or downloaded. The explanations that follow show how to coordinate each stage. For other communities, use the Chicagoland property closing checklists.
Official sources reviewed October 11, 2026. Sections labeled city requirements describe the cited municipal rules or published instructions. Coordination recommendations describe practical transaction management; the signed contract and lender instructions determine those deadlines. Confirm unusual transfers and address-specific conditions with Berwyn Compliance and your real estate attorney.
YOUR CLOSING WORKSHEET
Berwyn closing checklist
Track Berwyn compliance inspections, covered sewer videos, repair obligations, water clearance and transfer stamps from sale preparation through possession.
Requirements checked October 11, 2026. Review the explanations below for scope and exceptions.
Use the boxes to track tasks. The PDF provides space for notes and completion dates.
01 Before contract 4 tasks
Recommended coordination: include every parcel, current owner, occupied unit and intended use.
- Who
- Seller, buyer and title company
- When
- Before forms or offers are prepared
- Done when
- Property summary and matching title information
City requirement covers rentals, flips and owner-occupied buildings with additional rental units.
- Who
- Owner or agent with licensed plumber or approved contractor
- When
- For covered investment transfers; submit before the compliance inspection
- Done when
- Video, written findings and city review confirmation
City requirement: apply, pay the applicable fee and obtain the report. Confirm its expiration date.
- Who
- Seller or authorized agent
- When
- Before offering the property or entering a sale contract
- Done when
- Current inspection report and application receipt
Recommended coordination: compare the planned use with the report; investigate any discrepancy.
- Who
- Buyer, attorney and Compliance
- When
- Before relying on rental income or proposed use
- Done when
- City report and written clarification if needed
02 Under contract 4 tasks
Recommended coordination: include contractual dates, appointments, repairs and loan conditions.
- Who
- Buyer and seller with their closing team
- When
- When the contract is signed
- Done when
- Shared calendar with an owner for each open task
Recommended coordination: reconcile individuals, entities, trusts and anyone signing for another person.
- Who
- Attorneys and title company
- When
- Before preparing deeds and affidavits
- Done when
- Approved title and signing information
City instructions include survey requirements. Confirm any older-survey alternative with Compliance.
- Who
- Seller and attorney
- When
- Before municipal clearance
- Done when
- Accepted survey or approved alternative; MLS sheet when listed
City instructions require affidavits from all buyers named on the deed.
- Who
- Buyers and attorney
- When
- Before stamp purchase
- Done when
- Signed and notarized affidavits accepted by Compliance
03 Inspections and repairs 4 tasks
Recommended coordination: follow applicable tenant notice requirements and arrange keys and utilities.
- Who
- Seller or managing agent
- When
- Before confirmed appointments
- Done when
- Access confirmation and record of any uninspected areas
City transfer instructions also call for a water service inspection.
- Who
- Seller or authorized agent
- When
- With the municipal inspection process
- Done when
- Inspection result or city confirmation
City rules provide conditional escrow or attorney-letter procedures. Obtain the Director’s terms and deadline.
- Who
- Buyer, seller and attorneys
- When
- Before relying on a closing with unfinished repairs
- Done when
- Approved correction plan or city-required acceptance and security
Unsafe conditions may result in a prohibition on occupancy until necessary corrections are made.
- Who
- Buyer and Compliance
- When
- Before scheduling possession or tenant move-in
- Done when
- Written answer addressing any occupancy restriction
04 Municipal clearance 5 tasks
Recommended coordination: retain the final version and resolve any missing document immediately.
- Who
- Seller or coordinator and Compliance
- When
- Before requesting final stamp clearance
- Done when
- Completed certificate and acknowledgment of accepted documents
City requirement: request the final reading and notify Water of any closing-date change.
- Who
- Seller or authorized agent
- When
- At least three working days before closing
- Done when
- Reading request and final bill
Confirm the accepted final-bill payment method and filing of the completed compliance certificate.
- Who
- Seller or authorized payer
- When
- Before stamp approval
- Done when
- Payment receipt and water clearance
Ordinary city tax is $10 per $1,000 or fraction, primarily payable by the seller. Review exceptions.
- Who
- Seller, attorney and title company
- When
- Before purchasing stamps
- Done when
- Verified calculation and settlement allocation
City exempt-document fees vary by category; a quitclaim deed alone does not establish an exemption.
- Who
- Attorney and City Collector
- When
- Before requesting exempt processing
- Done when
- Accepted exemption basis and applicable fee receipt
05 Before closing 4 tasks
City instructions call for the original deed, completed declaration and applicable supporting documents.
- Who
- Attorney or title company
- When
- Before stamp processing
- Done when
- Complete recording packet and required originals
Recommended coordination: resolve payoffs, insurance, title matters and lender treatment of unfinished work.
- Who
- Buyer, lender, attorneys and title company
- When
- By contract and lender deadlines
- Done when
- Written readiness confirmation from the closing team
Recommended coordination: distinguish taxes, water, repairs and previously paid costs; verify wiring instructions independently.
- Who
- Buyer, seller and attorneys
- When
- Before signing or sending closing funds
- Done when
- Reconciled settlement statement
Confirm current hours, cutoff, originals and payment method before the visit.
- Who
- Authorized representative and City Collector
- When
- Before the applicable recording and closing requirements
- Done when
- Stamp and payment evidence in the closing file
06 Closing and after 4 tasks
Recommended coordination: compare condition, promised repairs and included property with the agreement.
- Who
- Buyer and agent with attorneys
- When
- Before signing, as arranged in the contract
- Done when
- Walkthrough notes and written resolutions
Recommended coordination: arrange delivery of recording confirmation, final title policy and any tenant records.
- Who
- Closing team, buyer and seller
- When
- According to closing and possession instructions
- Done when
- Signed documents, funding confirmation and key handoff record
The city states that water, sewer and garbage activate after it receives sale paperwork.
- Who
- Buyer or property manager
- When
- After sale paperwork reaches Water Billing
- Done when
- Correct account owner and mailing information
Follow the approved plan and request required follow-up review; retain the city’s written completion evidence.
- Who
- New owner and contractors with Compliance
- When
- By the specific city-approved deadline
- Done when
- Completion confirmation and applicable escrow-release record
Start before the property goes under contract
City requirement: obtain the compliance inspection report early
Berwyn places its inspection step before marketing and contracting. Under Section 1446.02, the owner must apply for inspection and obtain the current compliance inspection report before offering the property or entering a sale agreement. The report addresses zoning and permitted dwelling units.
That timing changes the seller’s first assignment. Contact Compliance when preparing the sale. Retain the application receipt, payment confirmation, inspection report, and any follow-up instructions together. If a buyer is already negotiating, provide the actual report to the attorneys promptly instead of promising that inspection paperwork will arrive at closing.
Recommended coordination: Create a property summary with the street address, parcel numbers, current ownership, intended buyer, occupied units, and proposed use. Include a separate garage parcel or other associated land if it belongs in the sale. Ask the title company to compare that summary with the legal description. This catches mismatches before they spread into forms and loan documents.
For a building advertised as having several apartments, compare the proposed purchase with the city’s permitted use. A finished room, second kitchen, or existing tenant is a reason to investigate further. Do not settle a discrepancy by assuming the listing description is authoritative. The buyer should resolve it before committing rent projections or renovation money.
Put inspection validity on the calendar
The same code section measures the application’s six-month validity from submission and payment. The city’s older transfer checklist describes report expiration from inspection. Ask Compliance to identify the controlling expiration date for your file, and use its written answer when scheduling. A delayed closing may require renewed review.
A seller should also ask which inspection fee applies to the building. Berwyn publishes its building and inspection fee schedule. Obtain the actual charge for the property classification and requested services; do not use a neighboring town’s fee or a historical title-company chart as the payment amount.
Assign responsibilities as soon as a contract is signed
Recommended coordination: Have the parties identify one person who maintains the closing checklist. That person can be an attorney, agent, or transaction coordinator. Give each open item an owner, a due date, and the document that will prove completion. “Inspection ordered” and “inspection approved” should have different statuses.
The seller should collect payoff information, existing surveys, repair permits, notices, and city correspondence. The buyer should provide the correct purchasing name and disclose the intended occupancy or investment use. The attorneys can then align the deed, municipal forms, contract terms, and financing documents before anyone signs inconsistent versions.
Build the calendar from confirmed appointments and contractual dates. Include the private inspection period, loan conditions, municipal review, possible repair work, and the final water reading. Leave room to respond to findings. If a required item will not be ready, discuss a written contract extension while there is still time to make an informed decision.
For a trust, estate, company, or other nonindividual owner, ask the title company which authority documents it needs. Check who will sign and whether that person will be available. An entity name corrected at the last minute can require changes across several separate document sets.
Separate the city inspection from the buyer’s investigation
City requirement: Follow the municipal inspection process and respond to the city’s report. Berwyn’s property transfer checklist also calls for a water service inspection. Ask how access for both inspections should be arranged.
Recommended coordination: The buyer should separately decide what private inspections or specialist reviews are appropriate. A city report, private home inspection, lender appraisal, and sewer evaluation serve different purposes. Place their findings beside one another and identify unresolved questions about condition, permitted use, repair scope, or value.
Make access arrangements for all relevant spaces. For an occupied property, work through the seller and the applicable notice process. Record which rooms, units, roofs, crawl spaces, or utility areas could not be inspected. An inaccessible area should remain an open task until the responsible professional explains how it will be addressed.
Keep written bids tied to specific findings. A contractor proposal should identify the work, materials, permit responsibility, access assumptions, and any exclusions. This is especially useful when a buyer intends to renovate after closing: the planned improvements may differ substantially from the repairs needed to satisfy the city’s report.
Check whether the sewer video rule applies
City requirement: Section 1042.047, adopted in August 2025, covers investment residential transfers. It includes rentals, properties purchased to renovate and resell, and owner-occupied buildings with additional units rented or available for rent. The lateral sewer must be recorded from the building to the public sewer connection. A licensed plumber or approved contractor supplies a usable digital video and written findings for Building Department review.
Submit the required video and findings before the compliance inspection. The ordinance says missing materials at that stage can delay or prevent the certificate. Obtain city review and acceptance before treating the sewer task as complete.
Recommended coordination: Tell the contractor that the work supports a Berwyn transfer, and confirm the city’s submission instructions before the appointment. Assign someone to deliver the files and obtain acknowledgment. A receipt for the camera service proves that work was paid for; it does not establish municipal acceptance.
If the contractor identifies a problem, request an explanation of the proposed repair and a written price. Give the findings to the buyer’s attorney and lender while reviewing the purchase budget. Ask whether the work changes the closing plan, insurance arrangements, or planned occupancy. Keep any new repair agreement with the underlying report so the scope remains clear to everyone.
Decide how each violation will be resolved
City requirements for a transfer with unresolved work
Berwyn’s Section 1446.09 provides a process for outstanding violations. The buyer must acknowledge the report in a notarized statement. When the Building Director estimates corrections at $3,000 or more, the code specifies a $1,500 city escrow. Below that threshold, an executed attorney letter may apply; without it, the Director determines an escrow of $750 or less. Obtain the required documents and the Director’s repair deadline for the specific file.
Recommended coordination: Treat the city-held amount and the actual repair budget as separate figures. An escrow deposit is not a contractor quote. The purchase agreement should explain who funds the work, who controls access, and what happens if the final cost exceeds the estimate. Have the lender review any unresolved condition before assuming funding is available.
An as-is sale still needs a documented path through municipal review. Ask the attorneys to attach or clearly identify the report being accepted. Vague language such as “buyer handles city issues” leaves uncertainty about which issues were disclosed, the money available, and the deadlines the buyer is taking on.
Confirm whether occupancy is allowed
Under Section 1446.10, the Building Director may prohibit occupancy when conditions are unsafe for habitation until necessary corrections are made. Obtain a direct answer about occupancy if the report raises that issue.
Recommended coordination: Build the move-in, rental, or renovation schedule around that answer. If possession occurs before planned work finishes, identify who carries insurance and controls the site. Avoid promising a tenant a move-in date or scheduling movers around an unconfirmed assumption about approval.
Assemble the municipal document packet
City instructions: Berwyn’s transfer checklist calls for a recent survey, with a stated older-survey alternative involving contract agreement and an attorney’s no-change affidavit. It also requests the MLS sheet when listed and signed, notarized buyer affidavits from the buyers named on the deed. Confirm the accepted survey and affidavit forms with Compliance.
Recommended coordination: Reconcile the buyer names before notarization. If the loan or title structure changes, ask whether the city forms must change too. Send documents through the department’s current contact channel, and retain acknowledgment that the packet is complete. Use the Compliance Department’s forms page to obtain the available forms instead of editing a saved example from another closing.
Berwyn’s transfer declaration requests the original deed and the completed declaration for stamp processing. It also addresses trust documentation and the state tax declaration. Have the attorney or title company prepare the coordinated recording packet and confirm which originals must accompany the stamp request.
Worked example: calculate Berwyn transfer tax and fees
City requirement: The ordinary Berwyn tax is $10 per $1,000 of transfer price or fraction thereof. The primary obligation falls on the seller, subject to stated exceptions. The code makes payment due on delivery or recording of the transfer instrument, whichever comes first. See Section 888.02.
Hypothetical tax example: A taxable transfer price of $325,250 occupies 326 increments of $1,000. At $10 per increment, the Berwyn tax is $3,260. This calculation illustrates the city’s rounding rule. It is not a quote for a particular transaction, and it does not include other transfer taxes, recording charges, inspection fees, water balances, or legal costs.
Recommended coordination: Give the closing team a separate line for each expense. For the seller, compare expected proceeds with mortgage payoffs, tax, repairs, and other agreed charges. For the buyer, separate money paid before closing from cash needed at settlement and funds reserved for later work. A receipt should determine whether an amount is already paid, avoiding accidental duplication.
Review exemptions individually
A transfer using a quitclaim deed does not, by itself, establish tax exemption. Have the attorney identify the applicable provision and submit the supporting facts. Section 888.06 sets a general $100 processing fee for exempt documents, with a $500 fee for transfers in its specified foreclosure and related category. Do not assume every exempt transaction carries the same fee.
For successive transfers, disclose the complete ownership sequence to the closing team. Ask Compliance about any proposed reuse of inspection documentation; Section 1446.11 imposes conditions on certificate transfers. A quick resale is not a reason to leave an intermediate owner out of the paperwork.
Complete water clearance before buying stamps
City requirement: Berwyn’s Water Department says to request the final reading at least three working days before closing. It also requires the completed compliance certificate before approving transfer stamps. Arrange the final balance and payment method directly with the department. Its payment instructions distinguish final sale bills from ordinary utility payments.
Recommended coordination: Track the requested reading, completed reading, issued bill, payment receipt, and clearance separately. Ask who will collect the bill and who will pay it. If the closing date changes after the request, tell the Water Department and ask whether any update is necessary. Send the receipt to the person assembling the stamp packet.
The stamp runner should know the pickup location, current transaction cutoff, acceptable payment, and required originals before leaving. Berwyn’s payment information states that stamp transactions end at 4:30 p.m., with a 7:30 p.m. cutoff on Tuesdays. Confirm holiday hours and current arrangements for the actual visit.
Keep financing and title work moving alongside city approval
Recommended coordination: Ask the lender for a written list of open closing conditions. Supply the municipal report and repair agreement where requested, especially if the transaction involves unfinished work. Confirm insurance coverage for the actual occupancy and construction plan. A policy intended for an occupied home may need review when the property will be vacant during renovation.
Have the attorney and title company review the title commitment, payoffs, judgments or liens, parcel information, and recording documents. Keep the municipal clearance evidence in that same closing file. If a payoff or other obligation changes the available proceeds, revisit the repair funding before the parties reach the signing table.
Investors can use our Berwyn investment-property financing guide to prepare the loan discussion. Provide the actual report, contractor scope, acquisition figures, and exit plan. The financing timeline should reflect the remaining city tasks and the lender’s conditions rather than a generic advertised closing speed.
For an acquisition that will become a rental, the suburban rental purchase checklist explains how sale approvals and rental permissions serve different purposes.
Add the right branch for rentals, condos, and vacant buildings
Rental coordination: Obtain signed leases, amendments, payment histories, deposit records, and any notices. Reconcile tenant names and occupied units against what the buyer actually inspected. Ask counsel how deposits, prepaid rent, notices, and management contacts should transfer. The Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance covers most suburban rentals, subject to exemptions; the county states that anti-lockout protections apply to all rental units.
Condo coordination: Request the association’s sale documents, account balance, insurance information, special-assessment details, and move arrangements. Have the attorney identify what the contract and applicable law require for the transaction. Assign a person to follow up with management, particularly when the lender also needs association information.
Vacant-building coordination: Ask Compliance whether a vacant-property file or registration applies and how ownership changes affect it. The department publishes separate vacant-property forms. Arrange access, utilities needed for inspections, site security, and appropriate insurance. Record any work that must occur before the building can be occupied again.
Walk through, close, and finish the remaining tasks
Recommended coordination: During the final walkthrough, compare the property with the contract and written repair agreements. Photograph relevant completed work, confirm agreed personal property remains, and document new damage or unfinished obligations. Bring discrepancies to the attorneys before signing so the resolution can be recorded accurately.
Review the settlement figures against paid receipts and agreed allocations. Confirm the stamp evidence, city clearances, accepted repair arrangements, title requirements, and lender approval are in the file. Verify any wiring instructions through a known, independently confirmed contact before sending funds. Follow the closing agent’s instructions for identification and authorized signers.
After funding and the agreed possession event, record the handoff of keys, access devices, documents, and tenant information. Ask the title company how recording confirmation and the final title policy will be delivered. Keep the signed settlement statement and municipal documents where the new owner can find them.
Berwyn’s new-resident instructions say city water, sewer, and garbage service activates after the Water Billing Department receives sale paperwork. Confirm the owner and mailing information are correct. For any approved deferred repairs, retain the deadline, schedule the required follow-up, and obtain written completion and escrow-release confirmation when applicable. The closing checklist is finished when those remaining obligations are documented, too.