When you write an offer to buy a home, you typically need to show you have skin in the game right away. This comes in the form an earnest money deposit. Earnest money is an upfront deposit that you make as a buyer when planning to purchase a home. It’s sometimes called a good faith payment because you’re proving to the seller that you h
When you write an offer to buy a home, you typically need to show you have skin in the game right away. This comes in the form an earnest money deposit. Earnest money is an upfront deposit that you make as a buyer when planning to purchase a home. It’s sometimes called a good faith payment because you’re proving to the seller that you have every intention of buying the home if your conditions are met. It is usually held by a Lawyer and is applied to the purchase of the home.
Earnest money deposits are usually 1% to 3% of a home’s purchase price. For example, a $300,000 home will require an earnest money deposit between $3,000 to $9,000. Your real estate agent may recommend a different percentage depending on local practices and current market conditions. The more competitive the market, the higher the deposit you may need to make.
Up until closing, your earnest money deposit will be held in an escrow account - typically the same entity that will handle the closing for your home purchase. The third-party holding the earnest money makes certain that the funds are dispersed appropriately based on the terms of your agreement with the seller, whether that means applyin
Up until closing, your earnest money deposit will be held in an escrow account - typically the same entity that will handle the closing for your home purchase. The third-party holding the earnest money makes certain that the funds are dispersed appropriately based on the terms of your agreement with the seller, whether that means applying the total to your down payment on closing or refunding the money to the correct party if the deal falls through.
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