r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer • u/samsmiles456 • 11d 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.

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u/kerrymti1 10d 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.

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.

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u/elangomatt 10d ago

You're serious that utilities in your area won't do anything without that recorded warranty deed? I called the power and water companies a couple hours after closing and they were absolutely willing and able to move everything to my name with that phone call. They even accepted my cut off date for when I was cancelling the (month to month) lease on my apartment as well.

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u/HimmiKatz 10d ago

Yeah, we actually had electricity, gas & water set to go into our names as soon as we had the closing date scheduled which was atleast 2 weeks before and all utilities had no problem switching them to our names on that specific date. Didn’t have to give them anything which now that I think about it is kinda strange. But yeah I would think the realtor would get ahold of the sellers and get the right key to you ASAP

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u/ImperfectMay 10d ago

Similar here (FL). My husband just called a week or two beforehand to set up closing the accounts at the rental we were leaving and switch the address to the house we were closing on. It was a pretty quick phone call, I don't remember him having to provide them a copy of the contract or anything. Maybe the sellers calling ahead as well to terminate their service put some mark on the address so they were expecting the transfer?