Closing escrow
The procedures for closing the sale of a house varies in different parts of the country. Here in Southern California it is customary to use an escrow company to handle the paperwork in the transfer from seller to buyer.
Sellers often asssume they have to be present on the day the house changes hands. They actually do not have to be there at all. If they executed all the paperwork in advance, the escrow company and their real estate agent will handle the closing, so that they can be anywhere in the world. They can arrange ahead of time to have the proceeds of the sale wired into their account or the check sent to them.