The Deal That Almost Fell Apart Over a Roof: How We Saved a Home Sale Two Weeks Before Closing

In real estate, the transactions that look the easiest at the beginning are often the ones that test you the most by the end.

This deal started exactly the way you hope they all do. The buyers and sellers came to terms quickly, negotiations were smooth, and everyone walked away from the contract feeling good about the outcome. The purchase price made sense, the timelines worked, and there was genuine excitement on both sides about getting to the closing table.

For a moment, it felt like one of those rare transactions that would move from contract to close without much friction.

Then the inspection report arrived.

What initially seemed like a routine due diligence period turned into something much bigger when we discovered the roof underlayment had been manufactured with a recalled product tied to a known defect. Suddenly, this wasn’t a conversation about a small repair or a maintenance credit. The entire roof needed to be replaced.

The surprising part was that the home was only ten years old. Nobody expected a major roofing issue on a property this new, which made the situation even more frustrating for everyone involved.

Still, both parties handled the news reasonably. We brought in multiple roofing contractors, collected five separate estimates, and spent time comparing pricing, timelines, and replacement options. Eventually, the buyers and sellers even agreed on the same contractor — which honestly felt like a huge win considering how complicated repair negotiations can become during escrow.

At that point, I thought we had solved the hard part.

Unfortunately, we were just getting started.

The Roof Replacement Nearly Killed the Deal

Two weeks before closing, the buyer’s lender called with a major problem.

Underwriting would not approve the loan unless the roof was fully replaced before closing. Because the loan followed Fannie Mae guidelines, the lender wouldn’t allow the property to close with the roof issue unresolved, even though both parties had already agreed the replacement would happen.

The seller immediately pushed back.

And from their perspective, it made sense. They were preparing to sell the home and move on, and they didn’t want the liability or logistical risk of coordinating a full roof replacement before the transaction closed. Managing a major construction project on a property you’re about to hand over is not something most sellers are comfortable doing, especially on a tight timeline.

What made the situation difficult was that nobody was acting unreasonably.

The buyers wanted the roof replaced.
The sellers agreed the roof needed replacing.
Both parties still wanted to close the transaction.

Everyone wanted the same result, but the structure of the deal no longer worked under the lender’s requirements.

This is the side of real estate most people never see. Deals don’t always fall apart because negotiations fail or emotions take over. Sometimes transactions become incredibly complicated because financing guidelines, timelines, and risk management all collide at once.

Creative Problem Solving in Real Estate Matters

Once it became clear the lender wouldn’t budge, I started working through every possible solution I could think of.

We explored repair escrows, alternative financing structures, timeline adjustments, and additional buyer protections. At one point, I even offered a $20,000 non-refundable earnest money structure to try to give the seller enough confidence to move forward with the roof replacement before closing.

Even that wasn’t enough to bridge the gap.

At that stage, many agents would have accepted the deal was dead and moved on. On paper, it certainly looked headed in that direction. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that there had to be a workable solution hidden somewhere inside the details.

So instead of focusing on the negotiations, I went back to the roofing contractor and started asking more questions about the replacement timeline itself.

That conversation changed everything.

The roofing materials were on backorder.

The contractor documented in writing that the replacement could not physically be completed before closing because the materials simply were not available yet.

That detail became the key to saving the transaction.

How We Got the Loan Approved

I took the contractor’s documentation directly to the lender and explained the situation to underwriting.

The delay wasn’t caused by seller negligence or refusal to cooperate. The roof replacement had already been agreed upon by both parties, but the repair timeline was outside of everyone’s control because of the material shortage.

With that clarification, I requested an escrow holdback exception.

This time, underwriting approved it.

We closed on schedule, the funds for the roof replacement were safely held in escrow, and just one week after closing, the buyers had a brand-new roof installed on their new home.

In the end, everyone won.

The buyers got the protection they needed.
The sellers avoided unnecessary liability before closing.
The lender satisfied underwriting requirements.
And the transaction successfully closed despite a problem that easily could have ended the deal.

What This Experience Says About Real Estate

One of the biggest misconceptions about real estate is that the job is simply opening doors, negotiating price, and getting signatures.

In reality, some of the most important work happens when a transaction starts falling apart.

Real estate requires problem-solving, persistence, creativity, and the ability to stay calm under pressure when timelines tighten and solutions aren’t obvious. Sometimes saving a deal has less to do with contracts and more to do with asking the right question at the right time.

In this case, the difference between a failed transaction and a successful closing came down to uncovering one overlooked detail that completely changed the lender’s perspective.

Sometimes the job is selling the house.

And sometimes the job is refusing to let the right deal die.

If you’re buying or selling a home in Arizona, having the right agent matters when unexpected problems come up. Brent Votroubek is known for finding solutions, protecting his clients, and getting deals to the closing table, even when things get complicated.

Thinking about making a move? Just Call Brent!

Check out this video to hear the full story and see how this deal almost fell apart before closing.