Redfin

JULY 9, 2025

Whether you’re purchasing your first home or need a refresher, understanding each step in the home buying process timeline can help you avoid surprises and feel more confident along the way. It’s best to shop around to find the best rate and determine the best type of mortgage loan for you. How many bedrooms do you need?

Pre-approval

Rochester Real Estate

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Your Credit Score With a better credit score , you will find it easier to get a mortgage and with better terms from the lender. A mortgage lender will check your credit score and financial history to decide how much they can lend to you. Your Housing Budget The purchase price of the home shouldn’t be your only consideration.

Purchase and sale agreement

Redfin

MARCH 26, 2025

This protective clause in your purchase agreement can save you thousands if your mortgage falls through, but in todays competitive market, some buyers are tempted to waive it. Quick answer: A financing contingency gives buyers a way to walk away from the deal and keep their deposit if their loan application is denied.

Finance

HomeLight

MARCH 7, 2024

But what happens if you’re now facing the decision of submitting a buyer cancellation of the purchase agreement? In this guide, we’ll break down what you need to know about buyer cancellation of a purchase agreement. What is a home purchase agreement?

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Perhaps the biggest gear that needs to turn in your favor is the mortgage loan. A common worry among homebuyers is to find the perfect house, put down a deposit with an accepted offer, and then learn that your mortgage application is denied — you lose both the house and your earnest money.

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

MAY 24, 2022

We decided to sell our house as “for sale by owner” to save the agent’s commission. Both the buyer and we signed a generic purchase agreement. I don’t know what is in your generic purchase agreement. You did get an earnest money deposit, didn’t you? Answer: Hello Shelly.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

JANUARY 19, 2024

The decision to waive the mortgage contingency, while potentially making your offer more appealing, carries a sloshing bucket of risks and considerations. But it can also tilt a sale in your favor. You can then make a strong offer on your next home with no home sale contingency. Learn More What is a mortgage contingency?

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

JULY 17, 2022

Kick-Out Clause vs. Home Sale Contingency. When the real estate market favors sellers home sale contingencies almost become extinct. In hot markets there would never be a need for a seller to even considered a home sale clause. Most real estate agents would laugh at the thought of seeing an offer with a home sale contingency.

Home sale contingency

HomeLight

JUNE 23, 2022

In many cases, if a homebuyer wants to back out of a contract and retrieve their earnest money, they’ll be able to find a way to do so within the confines of the real estate purchase contract. The typical amount is around 1% of the purchase price (ex. $5k Is earnest money refundable? 5k for a $500K home).

Earnest money deposit

Redfin

JANUARY 26, 2022

One of these important pieces of paperwork is a purchase and sale agreement. . To help you navigate this document, we’ll go over what a purchase and sale agreement is, what makes up the agreement, and what happens after the agreement is signed. What is a purchase and sale agreement?

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

AUGUST 11, 2023

Now that you have a purchase offer in hand, you’re in the home stretch, so to speak, of selling your house — but don’t sign the paperwork or pop the champagne just yet. Find a top real estate agent near you We analyze millions of home sales to find real estate agents that sell homes faster and for more money.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

JUNE 29, 2022

Before you post the “for sale” sign in your front yard, it’s important to prepare yourself for a critical part of the home-selling process : negotiating with buyers. Here are nine expert house negotiation tactics to help you on your way to a successful sale. Making enough money off the sale to fund the downpayment on a new home.

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

AUGUST 22, 2022

In my eagerness to buy my first home, I made a full-price offer with the only continency being that my mortgage was approved. In a few short weeks, the market has gotten much softer in this neighborhood and I’m not even sure the house will appraise for my purchase offer. I didn’t even include an inspection contingency.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

OCTOBER 1, 2020

But for some buyers, that excitement can quickly turn to anxiety when it comes time to sign the purchase contract. Will you lose your deposit? Once you and the seller sign the purchase agreement, things start to get real. There are four common buyer contingencies: financing, appraisal , inspection, and home sale.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

JULY 12, 2024

You can then make a strong offer on your next home with no home sale contingency. This ensures that both the buyer and the seller fulfill their respective obligations before the sale is finalized. During the escrow period, several key activities take place to ensure the home sale stays on track.

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

FEBRUARY 20, 2021

Given they are significant legal terms in a purchase and sale, it is essential to have a strong working knowledge of how they work. Some of these clauses can benefit you when purchasing a home, so we will look at some of the contingency clauses you might encounter when buying a property. Real Estate Contingencies Explained.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

JANUARY 3, 2024

Sometimes you come across a home for sale that checks off every box on your list, but the listing status says that it’s “under contract” or “sale pending.” In most cases, there are contingencies in the buyer’s offer that need to be cleared before the transaction is moved to the more solid “sale pending” status.

Purchase and sale agreement

Realtor.com

OCTOBER 29, 2020

Most purchase agreements have contingencies —things that buyers must do before the real estate transaction is official, explains Jimmy Branham , a Coral Springs, FL, real estate agent at the Keyes Company. If something is wrong, you can request that it be fixed—or you can back out of the sale. Get final mortgage approval.

Closing

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

The seller will either accept your offer (in which case it becomes your purchase agreement ), or will counter your offer (you can accept or counter again), or the seller could also flatly decline. Get preapproved for a mortgage. No sales contingency? Determine how much earnest money to offer.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

MARCH 20, 2023

That means a large majority of homebuyers must consider the sale of their current home prior to buying a new one. After all, few people can afford to hold two mortgages. Most often, this type of scenario calls for a home sale contingency. Find a Buyer's Agent What is a home sale contingency?

Home sale contingency

Dwell Real Estate

JULY 10, 2020

The earnest money deposit—the cash you as a buyer offer to essentially call dibs on real estate—is one of the most important (and often misunderstood) parts of the home-buying process. In the Sarasota area, home buyers will usually put down anywhere from 1 to 5 of the real estate purchase price as earnest money. (If

Earnest money deposit

Dwell Real Estate

JULY 10, 2020

The earnest money deposit—the cash you as a buyer offer to essentially call dibs on real estate—is one of the most important (and often misunderstood) parts of the home-buying process. In the Sarasota area, home buyers will usually put down anywhere from 1% to 5% of the real estate purchase price as earnest money. (If

Earnest money deposit

Point2Homes

NOVEMBER 29, 2022

The earnest money deposit. Generally, these are detailed in the conditional offer and may relate to a favorable home inspection , the go-ahead for taking out a mortgage and clear title checks. This will generally come into action once mortgage payments start for a homebuyer. Homes for sale in Denver.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

JULY 26, 2022

Is it a yard sale? No…it’s a for sale sign!!! A “for sale by owner,” or FSBO (pronounced “fizz-bo”) home, is a home that is being sold by its owner who hasn’t hired a listing agent. A “for sale by owner,” or FSBO (pronounced “fizz-bo”) home, is a home that is being sold by its owner who hasn’t hired a listing agent.

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

APRIL 17, 2023

You must put up an earnest money deposit when you buy a home. The purpose of earnest money is to show you're serious about buying. Many people refer to earnest money as a good-faith deposit. Earnest money is a security deposit the buyer makes to show good faith in a real estate transaction.

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

DECEMBER 5, 2022

The home inspection contingency in a real estate contract allows the buyer to back out of the sale when there are issues. The buyer can have their earnest money deposit returned when this happens. A mutually satisfactory agreement can be worked out when the parties do this. Best of luck with your purchase!

Inspection

HomeLight

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

Most purchase agreements have some terms in place that must be met for the deal to go through, such as having a home inspection completed. These are called contingencies, and they’re very common in a real estate sales contract. No worries — these are all normal parts of the process! Do contingencies benefit homebuyers?

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

MARCH 27, 2022

When you have a lot of competition from buyers to get to the under agreement stage with a seller, there isn’t much chance of success with a lowball offer. Offer a Larger Earnest Money Deposit. Your earnest money is a way of showing the seller that you are a serious buyer. Make a Strong Bid.

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

APRIL 20, 2022

What to Know About Terms and Conditions Found in an Offer to Purchase. It will state your offer price and many other clauses that could be crucial to the success of the purchase. Common Contingencies Found in an Offer to Purchase. The language in the offer to purchase will allow you to escape the sale with your money back.

Purchase and sale agreement

Point2Homes

JANUARY 31, 2023

With a budget in place, your next step should be to get pre-approved for a mortgage. Check out comparable properties to make sure that the sale price is fair or whether there’s a little wiggle room to negotiate. The most common way to make an offer is in writing using a standard purchase agreement.

Earnest money deposit

Redfin

MARCH 12, 2021

As you close in on making an offer on a home, your real estate agent – or the seller’s agent – will ask about “earnest money.” Earnest money is a type of security deposit, also known as a “good faith” deposit, offered to show the seller of a home that you’re serious about purchasing the property.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

MAY 24, 2022

Mortgage interest is tax-deductible , and many homeowners appreciate the deduction. If you only pay cash for the down payment, and take out a mortgage for the remainder of the purchase price, it keeps more money in your pocket. Paying cash saves you money, and you might need a place to live sooner rather than later.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

A down payment is money that a buyer will pay at closing, usually expressed as a percentage of the home’s total purchase price. What types of mortgage loans are there? The most common type of nonconforming loan is a jumbo mortgage , which exceeds the limit for conforming loans. Does it really have to be 20%? FHA loans.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

If this all sounds perfect and you’re thinking of purchasing a home in Connecticut, read on! Before you start looking for homes in Connecticut, you want to determine if you’re ready to purchase one. Homebuyers in Connecticut pay an average of just over $2,700 in closing costs when purchasing a home. Saving for your down payment.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

MARCH 16, 2023

Do you need to connect with cash home buyers in Houston for a fast sale? Perhaps you’re relocating for your dream job in two weeks, but you don’t have the time or money to replace the roof on your University Place ranch that has sprung a leak. The newbie with little experience doesn’t have the money to keep it long term.

Sales

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

Before you start looking for homes in Florida, you want to determine if you’re ready to purchase one. Consider factors such as how long you plan to be in the area, if you have steady employment, and if you have enough money saved for not just the down payment, but for closing costs , maintenance, property taxes, and more.

Earnest money deposit

RIS Media

MAY 19, 2021

” What do they mean and how will they affect your home sale? Despite this, there can still be room to negotiate the conditions of the sale. Not all sales will have contingencies with them, but most will. Financing or Mortgage Contingencies. The majority of homebuyers use a mortgage to finance their purchases.

Purchase and sale agreement