If a house shows "pending" status, could someone move in? How long before Pending moves to Closed for comps?

Question

I asked my realtor to provide comps in the neighborhood. This is a brand new neighborhood and therefore there are a lot of homes that have sold. When I asked to see how much the house next door sold for, she said it was "pending". How could a house be "pending" if the people have already moved in? . . . there is even a wreath on the door!

Answer 1

If the deal has closed, ie, people moved in, and the MLS still says Pending, then the other agent may not have updated the record in the system.  The time requirement to update this information is pretty short but I'd wait a week.

Answer 2

The owner can rent to the buyers until closing.

Answer 3

Some agents have 100 listings.  They sell 4 houses a day.  THey are supposed to immediately notify the realty world when a Pending sale is Closed.  That is the rule.  In fact, some agents may not get to it for 30 days.  They are swamped.  

The best thing is to go to your County Assessor's Office and look it up. Some are online.  Type in the address and it will tell what they paid and how they financed and who they are.  /

Answer 4

It maybe that the owners are still occupying the property.  After escrow closes then the status will change from "Pending" to "Sold" in the meantime the owners will pack up and leave with wreath in tow.