There will be a lot of documents for you to sign at the settlement table. Although we'll explain what each document says before you sign it, there's just not enough time during a real estate settlement for you to carefully read what you're being asked to sign. You will, of course, receive copies to take with you. To get a better understanding of what you'll be asked to sign, here's a description of the documents you can expect to see at settlement.  After each description, you'll find a link to the specific document if you'd like to read it in advance. These are mostly form documents, so the only difference between these and the ones you'll see at settlement are the details that apply to your individual mortgage.

HUD-1 Settlement Statement
The Settlement Statement sets forth all the payments and fees paid or received, by the lender, the borrower, and the seller, as well as any mortgage broker, real estate broker or or other party performing services in connection with the settlement loan. The Settlement Statement contains two pages. Page two contains the breakdown of all commissions and fees paid in connection with the loan and to whom they are paid, organized into columns for the borrower and the seller. Page one sets forth the funds coming from and going to the borrower and the seller, including the loan proceeds, old mortgage payoffs and prorating any outstanding costs (such as taxes) that need to be prorated between the borrower and seller. At the bottom of page one are the total amounts owed by the borrower and to the seller
HUD-1

Promissory Note
The Promissory Note, also called the Note, is your written promise to pay back the money you're borrowing from your lender. It states the date of your settlement, the lender's name and address, the loan amount, the interest rate, the term of the loan, the amount of the monthly payment of principal and interest, the monthly due date for each payment, the amount of the late charge if the payment is not made on time, and whether or not there's a prepayment penalty. 
Note

Mortgage
The Mortgage is the document that gives the lender security for the loan. It sets forth the terms under which the lender may foreclose on the property if the loan is not paid. The mortgage is a lien against the property and is recorded as a public document in the County Recorder of Deeds Office.
Mortgage

Truth In Lending Statement
The Truth-in-Lending Statement ("TIL") is a disclosure that sets forth the major financial terms of the loan. It lists the annual percentage rate, the finance charge, the amount of the loan, and the total that will be paid by the maturity date. The TIL also lists the number and amount of the payments, the due dates, the late payment charge, any pre-payment penalty and other information. This is one of the most confusing documents at settlement, and yet when you sign it, you're not agreeing to anything. Your signature only means that you're receiving a copy of the form from your lender. The truth is that the TIL allows you to compare different loans when you shop around for a mortgage, and so by the time you get to settlement, this form is for the most part meaningless.
Truth In Lending Disclosure Statement

RESPA Servicing Disclosure
This form lets you know the likelihood that your lender will be transferring the servicing of your loan (the collection of monthly payments) to a different company.
RESPA Servicing Disclosure

Request For Transcript of Tax Return (Form 4506-T)
This is an IRS form that allows your lender to request certain tax information from the IRS. For quality control purposes, lenders choose a small random number of loans to review after closing. They use this form to compare the income you report to the IRS with the income to told your lender you make each year. 
Request For Transcript of Tax Return

Notice of Right To Cancel (for refinancings only)
When you refinance your existing mortgage, you have the right under federal law to cancel the new transaction within 3 business days after you leave the settlement table. If you cancel, you will receive back any money you've paid to the new lender or anyone else involved in the transaction. 
Notice of Right To Cancel

Request For Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (Form W-9)
You'll be asked to sign this form certifying what your social security number so your lender can report to the IRS the interest you pay on your mortgage and deduct on your tax return. 

Request For Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification

Borrower's Certification & Authorization
This form is where you certify to your lender that all of the information on your application for the mortgage is correct, and that your lender can release this information to any investor they sell the loan to.
Borrower's Certification & Authorization