From a lender’s standpoint, most closing delays trace back to title or curative issues that surface too late. Frequent ones include a prior mortgage or HELOC that was paid but never released, outstanding tax liens, judgment or mechanic’s liens, errors or breaks in the chain of title, vesting that doesn’t match the borrower, probate or trust matters needing documentation, missing or unrecorded access easements on rural parcels, HOA estoppel delays, and payoff statements that arrive late or short. Each can hold up a clear-to-fund condition. The fix is timing: opening the title order as soon as the contract is signed gives the title company room to identify and resolve these before the lender is ready to fund, keeping the closing date intact.