Redfin

JULY 10, 2025

How earnest money and due diligence fees work in real situations Before you make an offer, it helps to understand exactly how these fees might play out. Here are a few scenarios that show how earnest money vs. due diligence fees can impact buyers at different stages. Review your contract and contingencies first.

Due diligence

Redfin

JULY 9, 2025

Decide on important terms like earnest money deposits, contingencies (inspection, financing), and closing dates that can make your offer stand out. At this stage, the lender will also request an appraisal to confirm the property’s value before moving forward. >>Read: How to Prepare for a Home Appraisal 15.

Pre-approval

Rochester Real Estate

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

If your offer is accepted, you will sign a purchase agreement and pay an earnest money deposit. The seller might return with a counteroffer based on your offer’s price, contingencies, or other terms. Home Inspection The home inspection will show if this is a property you want to buy.

Purchase and sale agreement

Rochester Real Estate

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

They don’t want you to lose your earnest money deposit either. What To Expect From Your Listing Agent Why For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) Fail Blog Featured Articles Home Buying Home Selling LOCAL Rochester NY Articles Should I Waive My Home Inspection When Buying A House?

Inspection

Redfin

AUGUST 4, 2025

Negotiation is a process often involving multiple stages , as it’s rare for a seller to accept the first offer without any counter. You can strengthen your offer by offering a larger earnest money deposit or submitting a personalized offer letter. This demonstrates that you’re serious and informed.

Earnest money deposit

Rochester Real Estate

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

If you find the perfect home and get it under contract, and then your mortgage runs into a delay, you run the risk of not being able to close by the closing deadline, and potentially forfeit your earnest money deposit to the seller. Not only could a delay cost you your dream home, but also the earnest money you put down on it.

Finance

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

But if you’re at the stage when you do want to buy a house, and you’re financially qualified to do so, be ready to act swiftly and seriously. Determine how much earnest money to offer. The customary amount to put down as an earnest money deposit will vary based on your market. Be ready to make a move.

Earnest money deposit

RIS Media

JULY 20, 2021

The digital payment platform helps integrate and automate real estate payments such as earnest money deposits, agent fees, commission and any other manual payment process. Stagerie: Stagerie is a national online home staging consultation marketplace, connecting real estate agents, homeowners, and expert stagers.

Earnest money deposit

Realtor.com

OCTOBER 29, 2020

If the appraised value is less than the sale price, the contingency enables you to back out of the deal without forfeiting your earnest money deposit , says Bishoi Nageh , president of the Petra Cephas Team at Mortgage Network Solutions, in Somerset, NJ. If you spot any discrepancies, ask your lender to explain them.

Closing

HomeLight

JULY 26, 2022

At this stage, you’ll want to shop around and get preapproved by at least two different lenders to compare interest rates , closing costs , and terms. Also, be sure to include your earnest money deposit amount, closing dates, and who will be responsible for certain closing costs. Send your earnest money deposit.

Earnest money deposit

Redfin

MARCH 12, 2021

Once the seller’s agent is able to confirm that your earnest money has been deposited into an escrow account, the seller’s agent will mark the listing as a pending sale — in effect taking the property off the market. How much earnest money do you need to offer? Where does the earnest money go? .

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Real estate transactions involve multiple stages, with "under contract" being a critical phase. During this stage, various contingencies, inspections, and other conditions may need to be met before the sale is finalized. They could lose their earnest money deposit by not performing or asking for an extension.

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

OCTOBER 13, 2020

Let’s take a look at the things you need to know when you are going through the home appraisal stage in a real estate transaction. An appraisal contingency will allow you to walk away from the deal without losing your earnest money deposit.

Earnest money deposit

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

MAY 24, 2021

What it doesn’t take is much money. You only need to put a small amount down as an earnest money deposit , and you get that money back either when the deal closes or if you put contingencies in place for it. At this stage in my life I prefer hands-off real estate investing strategies. House Hacking.

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

They will also get their earnest money deposit back , and the home will go back on the market. Most of the time, when a home is at the contingent stage, sellers are still interested in offers from other parties. The status of a home will change to pending as the final stage before closing.

Backup offer

RIS Media

MAY 19, 2021

Doing so could mean the forfeiture of their earnest money deposit. Lenders aren’t going to provide money for a property that the buyer’s offer has overvalued. This shows that the house has gone through the contingent stage, and the buyer is expected to close on the home. Appraisal Contingencies.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

AUGUST 30, 2021

If your agent doesn’t offer advice on pre-listing repairs, staging, and light improvements, they’re not doing a good job. Answer your questions about relevant contingencies, earnest money deposits, and closing costs. Did they suggest how to improve your home’s appearance to enhance its marketability?

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

JULY 1, 2023

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) conducted a survey in October 2022, revealing that approximately 7% of deals in the preceding three months got terminated before reaching the closing stage. During this stage, the buyer, seller, or their respective agents select an escrow agent who will oversee the process.

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

JULY 11, 2022

At the beginning stages of any market change, buyers and sellers are reluctant to realize things may be different. Since appraisal contingencies are far more commonplace in buyer’s markets, sellers are far more likely to accept them. Often real estate agents are left to convince their clients what is happening in the current market.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

At this stage, you should get preapproved rather than prequalified. Send your earnest money deposit. The earnest money deposit is typically between 1% and 3% of the purchase price and essentially shows the seller that you’re serious about buying their home. Learn More About HomeLight's Cash Offer.

Earnest money deposit

Realty Biz

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

What it doesn’t take is much money. You only need to put a small amount down as an earnest money deposit, and you get that money back either when the deal closes or if you put contingencies in place for it. At this stage in my life I prefer hands-off real estate investing strategies.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

JULY 31, 2021

While price tends to take center stage, many other components of an offer should be considered before entering into a contract. Earnest money deposit. Step 5: Review offer details and choose the best one. When reviewing multiple cash offers, the best one might not always be the highest number. Verification of funds.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

MAY 27, 2021

can definitely help with this stage! And finally, you’ll need to be prepared with cash for the earnest money deposit. Earnest money is a good-faith deposit that will be due a few days after your offer is accepted and counted as a credit toward your closing costs or down payment (or both).

Earnest money deposit

CT Homes

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Find and Qualify your Buyers Compare Contracts Offer Terms Inspection Contingency Earnest Money Deposit Closing Period Accept an offer and Open Escrow Monitor Transaction Deadlines Close Escrow. It’s also important at this stage to research the buyers BEHIND the offer. Earnest Money Deposit.

Earnest money deposit

CT Homes

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Find and Qualify your Buyers Compare Contracts Offer Terms Inspection Contingency Earnest Money Deposit Closing Period Accept an offer and Open Escrow Monitor Transaction Deadlines Close Escrow. It’s also important at this stage to research the buyers BEHIND the offer. Earnest Money Deposit.

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

MARCH 16, 2023

Play it safe with a non-refundable earnest money deposit While no loan approval or appraisal makes cash sales less risky, there’s still a chance that the investor could back out. Ramcharitar recommends that Houston sellers ask for a non-refundable earnest money deposit.

Sales

HomeLight

MARCH 31, 2022

Step 3: Declutter, clean, stage, and add curb appeal. You may also want to consider strategically staging your home so that buyers can envision how each space could be used. One survey of Realtors® found that staging can increase the sales price of a home by 1% to 5%, and 31% agree that a staged home sells significantly faster.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

MARCH 31, 2022

Step 3: Declutter, clean, stage, and add curb appeal. You may also want to consider strategically staging your home so that buyers can envision how each space could be used. One survey of Realtors® found that staging can increase the sales price of a home by 1% to 5%, and 31% agree that a staged home sells significantly faster.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

JANUARY 3, 2023

Step 3: Declutter, clean, and stage your home. You may also want to consider strategically staging your home so that buyers can envision how each space could be used. One survey of Realtors® found that staging can increase the sales price of a home by 1% to 5%, and 31% agree that a staged home sells significantly faster.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

APRIL 28, 2023

Step 3: Declutter, clean, stage, and add curb appeal Research shows that deep cleaning and decluttering your home prior to listing will pay off in huge rewards. You may also want to consider strategically staging your home so that buyers can envision how each space could be used. Or the cost of a professional, if you so choose.)

Purchase and sale agreement

The Close

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Still, the car was detailed, professionally photographed, staged, posted online, and syndicated to numerous websites to find a buyer. Plus, my clients nearly lost their earnest money deposit due to the delays. Home sale preparation is done like a dealership preps the cars for the lot.

Pre-approval

HomeLight

DECEMBER 14, 2021

Would staging your home increase its sale price? She points out that in a real estate transaction, “people are putting down earnest money deposits of $100,000, if the agent flubs something in the contract, they could lose that money for them.”A Pre-listing or when looking at houses, and when evaluating offers.In

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

DECEMBER 14, 2021

Would staging your home increase its sale price? She points out that in a real estate transaction, “people are putting down earnest money deposits of $100,000, if the agent flubs something in the contract, they could lose that money for them.”A Pre-listing or when looking at houses, and when evaluating offers.In

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

JUNE 30, 2022

Also during this stage, your lender will pull your credit report after getting your consent. Transaction details: the purchase agreement and a copy of your earnest money deposit. Be prompt with their document requests so the process goes as smoothly (and quickly) as possible. Bank statements. W-2s or 1099s.

Purchase and sale agreement

Redfin

JUNE 21, 2023

Submit a competitive offer When making an offer on your first investment property, you should be prepared to act swiftly and present a strong offer with attractive terms, such as a pre-approval letter, a substantial earnest money deposit, and flexibility on closing timelines.

Due diligence

HomeLight

DECEMBER 8, 2022

They offer a $30,000 earnest money deposit on homes in any condition and specialize in working with properties that have tenants, out-of-state homeowners, and houses that are filled with the seller’s possessions. Deep clean, declutter, make necessary repairs, landscape, stage home. Listing with an agent. 7 to 30 days.

Purchase and sale agreement