Redfin

JULY 16, 2025

Key takeaway: Once a home is under contract, the seller is legally bound to the agreement and cannot accept another offer – unless specific clauses or contingencies allow it. Once both parties have signed a legally binding purchase agreement , the seller is obligated to uphold its terms. Generally, no.

Backup offer

Redfin

MARCH 18, 2025

When buying a home, youll likely come across the term earnest money – a deposit that shows the seller youre serious about the purchase. This deposit is usually between 1% and 3% of the homes purchase price, but the amount can vary based on the local market and the agreement between you and the seller.

Closing

Redfin

JUNE 27, 2025

Don’t skip critical steps like the home inspection or negotiating closing costs. These can greatly affect both the quality of your purchase and your bottom-line expense. Whether you’re purchasing your first home in Phoenix, AZ or in Trenton, NJ , here’s what you need to know before starting the homebuying process.

Pre-approval

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. Are you looking at homes for sale in Juneau, AK or Miami, FL ? There are many steps involved, each with its own timeline.

Pre-approval

Redfin

JULY 11, 2025

This good-faith payment, typically 1% to 3% of the purchase price, is held in escrow and applied to your down payment or closing costs if the sale goes through. That means if the sale is completed, the money is not refunded – it’s credited toward what you owe. When is earnest money refundable?

Earnest money deposit

Rochester Real Estate

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Here are the top frequently asked questions that home sellers ask before listing a home for sale, questions relating to home value & pricing, questions relating to contracts, and questions relating to purchase offers. Frequently Asked Questions Before Listing Their Home For Sale When is the best time to sell my home?

Purchase and sale agreement

Rochester Real Estate

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

After the chaos of the pandemic and a booming seller’s market, 2023 might be a better time to buy a house. Your Housing Budget The purchase price of the home shouldn’t be your only consideration. A pre-approval letter must be included, and proof of funds can also help in a seller’s market.

Purchase and sale agreement

Redfin

MARCH 7, 2025

Since the home inspection is primarily for the buyer’s benefit, ensuring the property is in good condition before finalizing the sale, the buyer usually covers the cost. While the buyer is usually responsible, there are some exceptions, especially if the seller is motivated or the buyer is in a highly competitive market.

Inspection

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

A housing market marked by relatively high interest rates and tight inventory — and punctuated by the practice of home inspection waivers to sweeten offers — are taking a bite out of business for home inspectors, who play a key role in the sales process by ensuring that buyers are not being sold a lemon of a house.

Inspection

HomeLight

JUNE 9, 2023

A property listed as “contingent” in real estate means the seller has accepted an offer, but the deal isn’t fully closed yet. The final sale hangs in the balance, waiting for certain conditions or “contingencies” to be met. Get Started Are contingencies common in real estate?

Home sale contingency

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

Realty Biz

FEBRUARY 20, 2021

Many buyers and sellers are not well educated about the intricacy of some real estate contingency clauses. Given they are significant legal terms in a purchase and sale, it is essential to have a strong working knowledge of how they work. Most buyers will have a home inspection contingency in their contract.

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

AUGUST 22, 2022

That’s probably why the price was a little below the market average. Yeah, I’ve been studying the market for a while and knew what houses were selling for. I didn’t even include an inspection contingency. While it is not yet a buyer’s market, buyers are in a much better place than they were a few short months ago.

Purchase and sale agreement

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. Most often, this type of scenario calls for a home sale contingency. Find a Buyer's Agent What is a home sale contingency? If the buyer’s current home sells, the sale of the new home can proceed.

Home sale contingency

Realtor.com

OCTOBER 29, 2020

Get all contingencies squared away. 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. It’s rarely advisable to waive an inspection contingency.

Closing

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 10, 2022

Say you’re visiting yard sales on a Saturday morning and you come across the perfect wicker patio set, exactly what you’ve been looking for. Kick-out clauses are often employed when the buyers have to sell their current home first, and the sellers want to continue marketing their home in the meantime.

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

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. What’s the point of a contingency, and how long can a contingency period last?

Purchase and sale agreement

Point2Homes

DECEMBER 8, 2020

When searching for the ideal home, expect to encounter a few issues along the way, such as homes listed as contingent. But, what does contingent mean and how does it affect your purchase? A home listed as contingent means the seller has accepted an offer. How is Contingent Different from Pending?

Purchase and sale agreement

RIS Media

APRIL 12, 2021

A standard home purchase agreement typically includes contingencies. If the contingency terms are not met, the contract is no longer enforceable and one party may even back out of the deal. Types of Contingencies . Purchase contracts typically include an appraisal contingency.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Unexpected setbacks and misfortunes happen, whether that stems from a dramatic housing market downturn, getting laid off, or any other wrenches that life (or a worldwide pandemic) throws into your plans. If a homeowner falls behind on their mortgage payments, a short sale is one potential way of correcting course. Short sales 101.

Short sale

HomeLight

DECEMBER 30, 2023

You may be building an online watchlist of homes you’re interested in seeing, but then you notice a label tagging your favorite property listing as “under contract” or “sale pending.” What buyer contingencies might put a listing back on the market? What home contingency missteps should you avoid when making an offer?

Home sale contingency

HomeLight

OCTOBER 1, 2020

But for some buyers, that excitement can quickly turn to anxiety when it comes time to sign the purchase contract. Once you and the seller sign the purchase agreement, things start to get real. Which contingencies you included in your contract with the seller. What are contract contingencies?

Earnest money deposit

HomeLight

MARCH 31, 2022

leading to bidding wars in many of the major markets. For instance, getting preapproved for a mortgage is imperative in the 2022 tight market. But one of the most influential bargaining tools is eliminating contingency clauses, especially the seller contingency clause, also known as the home sale contingency.

Home sale contingency

HomeLight

JANUARY 31, 2025

What fixes are mandatory after a home inspection? Although 20% of buyers waived inspection contingency , you may still be obligated to resolve certain issues, depending on your states and the buyers lenders policies. For instance, purchasers using FHA , VA , or USDA loans each have particular requirements.

Inspection

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. Let’s look at the most common contingencies in an offer and what they mean to buyers and sellers. Home Inspection Contingency.

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Let’s look at whether it makes sense to put in an offer on an already contingent home. What Does Contingent Mean in Real Estate? Listed homes for sale are classified in different ways to help you understand how far along in the sales process they are. Can I Still Buy a Contingent Property? Low Appraisals.

Purchase and sale agreement

Realty Biz

DECEMBER 5, 2022

Home inspections over the last few years were few and far between. The crazy hot seller's market forced many home buyers into forgoing their inspection. With bidding wars being the norm and not the exception, many buyers were waiving their inspection to strengthen their offer. What Will Happen After a Home Inspection?

Inspection

HomeLight

JANUARY 13, 2022

These conditions are known as contingencies, which is where the term “active contingent” comes from. Many offers contain contingencies. In May 2020, 76% of closed sales contained purchase contingencies, a survey from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) found. Inspection contingencies.

Backup offer

RIS Media

MAY 19, 2021

.” There are other statuses in the MLS listings like “Pending,” “Contingent,” “Coming Soon” and “Expired.” ” What do they mean and how will they affect your home sale? One of the most confusing things for buyers and sellers to understand is what contingent means vs. pending.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

JULY 31, 2020

Real estate purchases made entirely with cash are rumored to create big benefits for homebuyers. With the help of Brad Graves , a top real estate agent in San Antonio, Texas , and some recent national home purchase data, we’ll examine the pros and cons of all-cash offers. Image Source: (Shutterstock.com/Andy Dean Photography).

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

JANUARY 5, 2022

Unlike taking your house off the market , withdrawing from a purchase contract can cost you big time. In this blog, we explain under what circumstances a seller may cancel a home purchase agreement. Why might a seller want to back out of a home sale? In a housing shortage, the market is ripe with bidding wars.

Purchase and sale agreement

HomeLight

OCTOBER 30, 2020

A cash deal can close in as little as 7 days, while financed home purchases tend to take an average of 45 days to close. And if you add a home sale contingency into the mix (that is, if you need to sell your current home before you can buy a new one), closing the deal can take even longer. Why do sellers love cash so much?

Closing

Redfin

AUGUST 26, 2020

In case you’re thinking of waiving the home inspection contingency, you should also be aware that some lenders require a home inspection as a necessary step before they finalize your home loan. Home inspectors generally use a home inspection checklist to look for damage or other causes of concern. Local laws.

Inspection

Real Trends

APRIL 11, 2023

Agents, has the fluctuating market made it more difficult to close deals this past year? Here are five seller concessions that I’m using that can help navigate today’s market: 1. Buyers may choose to use their seller’s concession towards costly repairs outlined in the inspection. You are certainly not alone.

Seller concession

HomeLight

JULY 6, 2023

When your home first hits the market, your listing agent will note that it’s “Active,” as in ready and available for showings — but there’s a lot of ground to cover before your agent lists the status as “Closed,” when you have a done deal and you’re ready to hand over the keys. Learn More Contingent or pending, you’re under contract!

MLS

HomeLight

JANUARY 3, 2023

Higher interest rates have been cooling the housing market nationwide, and real estate in Colorado is no exception. Inventory is starting to rise along with the average number of days on market as of September 2022. Year-over-year, monthly sales in the Phoenix metro area were down nearly 25%. Real estate transfer taxes: 0.01%.

Purchase and sale agreement