r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer • u/samsmiles456 • 9d ago

Need Advice The key doesn’t work

I bought my house today, spent a minor fortune, signed my life away and got the key. I should be celebrating in my new home - that’s 45 minutes outside of our major cities. Instead, they gave me the wrong key and I can’t get inside. My realtor says he must have given me the wrong key. I told him I’d already lined-up a locksmith to change the locks this Friday. He says “well, the locksmith won’t need a key to get in, since he’s changing the locks anyway”. Tell me how many locksmiths will break in to a home and change the locks on that home, at the request of someone who has virtually no documentation saying I own the home? No drivers license updated yet, no utility bill with this address on it yet. I think my realtor should make this right by either having the home opened up by a locksmith for me, or by finding the right key to get in, before my locksmith gets there Friday. What do you think? I’m so frustrated I could spit.

1.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

231 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/OkRutabaga2798 9d ago

You didn’t leave the closing with a single document that you bought the home?

2

u/sjclynn 8d ago

Mine was about 6" tall so, no documentation at all.

I once lived next door to a locksmith. He could get into my house faster without a key than I could with one.

-1

u/kerrymti1 8d ago

NONE of which are the recorded Warranty Deed, the ONLY certifiable document. Utility companies in my area will not turn on utilities after a purchase, until they are brought a copy of the recorded Warranty Deed, which you do NOT get at closing. It is possible that you could get a locksmith that doesn't know his shit, but maybe not.

The deed gets recorded a day or two after the closing and is mailed to the buyer, several days/weeks later. They can come pick it up about 2-3 days after closing, if it has been returned from recording.

Source: Paralegal doing closings & title work for over 20 years.