My Absolutely WILD End to 2021

Some years coast to the finish line. 2021—in true Upstate fashion—barreled across it with hazard lights blinking. In this episode of Selling Greenville, host Stan McCune rewinds to a late-December listing that stacked every possible complication in a single week: a low appraisal that arrived late, an FHA checklist that ballooned into thousands of dollars in exterior repairs, a lender restructuring at year-end (with a hard stop of December 30), and—believe it—buyers volunteering to fix the seller’s house on Christmas Eve. What unfolds is part cautionary tale, part masterclass in staying calm when a real estate deal gets weird.

The “Wild End to 2021” Real Estate Closing (and Why it Almost Didn’t Happen)

By the time the holidays rolled around, Stan had already recorded a set of year-end episodes. Then the final closing of the year lit up his phone. Multiple offers had pushed the accepted price beyond what nearby comps could justify, and he had prepped his seller early: the appraisal wouldn’t reach the contract number. He wasn’t wrong.

The appraisal landed a week late—and low—confirming what the data suggested. Stan had already set expectations and negotiated a practical middle ground: the buyer would bring extra cash to meet the gap, and the parties would “split the difference” between the contract price and appraised value. That alone would’ve made for a busy December. But the real thicket was still ahead.

Because this was an FHA loan, the appraisal wasn’t just about value; it triggered a condition inspection. And the assigned appraiser was the…thorough type. He flagged exterior items across the board: scrape, sand, and repaint the siding and trim; replace a deteriorated plywood ramp to a backyard outbuilding; replace a crawlspace door due to rot; and repair broken privacy-fence slats. None of it had been flagged in the home inspection, yet the appraiser wanted it all complete before he would sign off.

That might be manageable in a normal week. But the calendar read December 22.

When an Appraisal Meets a Calendar: The Lender Curveball

If the punch list wasn’t enough, a second surprise arrived from the financing side. The buyer’s agent hinted that the file could be handed to a new lender in January. That didn’t track, so Stan called the loan officer directly.

The explanation was jaw-dropping: the lender’s company was restructuring and closing its doors at year-end, reopening as a different entity in 2022. Translation: if the loan didn’t close by December 30, this lender couldn’t fund it at all and would need to pass the entire loan package to another shop in the new year. Best case, that meant a multi-week delay. Worst case? Layers of new underwriting, new disclosures, and a deal straining under the weight of holiday timing.

And remember: December 31 was an observed holiday—banks were closed. The real deadline was December 30. From the day the appraisal arrived, that left eight days to: finish exterior work, complete reinspection, push underwriting, and hit disclosure clocks.

Buyers with Paintbrushes (Yes, on Christmas Eve)

Then came an unexpected offer. The buyer’s spouse, a contractor, volunteered to perform the required work immediately. As in, December 24. Stan laid out the risks to his seller (liability, quality, “What if the loan falls through?”), but weighed that against the upside: thousands saved and a shot at closing before the lender’s door slammed shut.

The seller agreed.

By Christmas Eve, a crew was on site, scraping and painting while most of the city prepped for family dinners. It was an unusual arrangement, but it was the only path that fit the clock. Even so, the to-do list was bigger than a single day could handle. Work paused for Christmas Day, then resumed on Sunday. Progress—yes. Finished—no.

A Tale of Two Appraisers

There was one break in the storm. The original appraiser—the one who delivered the late, low appraisal and the heavyweight punch list—was on vacation. The reinspection got reassigned to a different appraiser who, from the first call, understood the stakes. He was responsive, flexible, and solution-minded—even willing to swing by on Christmas Eve to see if enough had been completed to sign off, then keep Monday open to return.

He couldn’t change the original appraiser’s demands; his job was simply to confirm—photo-for-photo—that every flagged item had been fixed. But he could move fast.

On Monday, he returned. The fence still wasn’t done. Worse, the storm windows were still installed, which meant the actual window sashes—where paint had been chipping—hadn’t been scraped and painted yet. The list wasn’t shrinking; the clock was.

Underwriting, Disclosures, and a Lifeline

There was one crucial piece of good news amid the reinspection hopscotch: the lender’s team issued the preliminary Closing Disclosure early—before Christmas—meeting the three-business-day requirement to close by the 30th. That was a massive relief. With the clock satisfied, the file wouldn’t be tripped up by disclosure timing. Now everything hinged on finishing the work and locking the reinspection.

Tuesday brought one more twist: a particularly large storm window that the buyers couldn’t remove alone. The reinspection appraiser—yes, the second one—pitched in and helped. It wasn’t typical, but nothing about this file was. By that evening, the last windows were scraped, sanded, and painted; photos were sent; and the appraiser uploaded his sign-off.

Wednesday morning: the lender approved. Thursday morning: they closed.

Stan ended the year where he started it—on the phone—this time hearing “funded” after a week that could have fallen apart at any point.

What 2021 Taught in One File

Looking back, the story sums up Stan’s entire year—more business than any prior year, more curveballs than most agents see in a decade, and lessons that only come from walking through the weird. A few takeaways, drawn directly from the experience:

• Expect the appraisal to shape the path—especially on FHA. FHA appraisals commonly zero in on condition, and the degree of focus depends on the appraiser assigned. Sometimes it’s a rubber stamp; sometimes it’s a microscope. Plan for either.

• Prep your seller for a value gap when comps won’t support the contract price. Stan did, and it allowed a quick “meet-in-the-middle” negotiation when the appraisal came in low.

• Calendar risk is real. Year-end closings are tight in normal times; factor in bank holidays and corporate timelines (like a lender restructuring), and every day counts.

• Communication wins. A buyer’s agent with initiative, a reinspection appraiser who understood urgency, and early lender disclosures made a razor-thin timeline possible.

• Choose stable, dependable lending partners. Stan’s parting nudge for 2022 was simple: don’t buy with a lender who’s about to restructure. He works with lenders across products and knows who can see a file through—without drama.

The “Wild End to 2021” Real Estate Closing—In Human Terms

This wasn’t just a spreadsheet sprint. It was people navigating holidays, families, paint fumes, and paperwork—everyone moving in sync under pressure. A buyer couple spent Christmas weekend on ladders. An appraiser carved time out of his holiday and even helped remove a window. A seller chose trust over convenience. And a lender’s underwriting team pushed disclosures through in time to keep the door open.

That’s what a wild end to 2021 real estate closing looked like in Greenville: imperfect, gritty, and somehow—against the odds—done.

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Bottom Line

If 2021 had a personality, it showed up in this closing: a low appraisal that everyone saw coming, an FHA punch list no one wanted, a lender deadline no one could move, and a holiday schedule no one could change. It still closed—because expectations were set, timelines were respected, and every party did their part when it mattered.

Heading into any new year, the lesson holds: plan for the appraisal, watch the calendar, and work with pros who communicate under pressure. The difference between “deal derailed” and “funded” can be a single day—and the right people on the other end of the phone.

Ien Araneta

Journal & Podcast Editor | Selling Greenville