Sign before applying, with the closing funds in escrow released only on visa issuance. The application needs a committed transaction, and the buyer needs protection if the visa is refused.
Commit on paper, protect the cash
The E-2 application cannot be decided on an intention to buy. The officer needs a signed purchase agreement, the funds in place and evidence the investor is committed. The investor, for his part, should not hand over the full price for a business he may not be permitted to run. The accepted answer is an escrow arrangement: the purchase agreement is signed, the cash portion is deposited with an escrow agent, and release is conditioned solely on issuance of the E-2 visa, with the deposit returned if the visa is refused. Other contingencies should be satisfied and removed before the application so that the visa is the only open condition. The timeline then runs: due diligence, signing with escrow, assembling the application, the consular interview, and closing after issuance. Do not give notice on the Mount Pearl lease until the visa is issued; if sale of the Mount Pearl inventory supplies part of the escrowed cash, complete and document that sale before applying so the committed funds and their path both exist.
Hypothetical example: a bicycle-repair retailer has negotiated a purchase but still awaits the landlord's consent to assign the premises. The first decision is whether that consent can be obtained before the E-2 application. The executed consent settles the right to operate from the stated location. If it remains an open contingency, the escrow arrangement may not show the necessary commitment. Sequence the transaction so commercial contingencies are resolved first, then make visa issuance the only condition controlling release of the buyer's funds.