Closing remotely

Section 117.265 of the Florida Statutes requires the online notary to confirm the identity of the signer and of any witness appearing online at the moment of signing, using audio-video technology that meets the law, and to record the session. That lets you sign from Bogotá, New York or wherever you are. Not every title company or lender accepts it for every document, so it gets confirmed when the closing is opened, not the week you sign.

Section 689.01 says a transfer of real property is made in writing, signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. If you sign online, the witnesses can join the session; if you sign on paper outside the U.S., you need two physical witnesses besides the notary or consulate. A missing witness is one of the errors that most delays a closing from abroad, because the document has to be signed and shipped again.

Section 718.503 requires a condo resale contract to state, in conspicuous type, that the buyer may void it in writing within 7 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after signing and receiving the declaration, bylaws, rules, latest financial statement and budget. Remotely the clock runs the same, so it pays to request the documents as PDFs the day the offer is signed.