Editor's note: We get a lot of questions from home buyers
about the earnest money deposit when buying a home.
what
about earnest money deposit?
Here's everything a home seller needs to know
about an earnest money deposit, and how to keep the funds if a sale goes south.
Many homebuyers have misconceptions
about the earnest money deposit required when purchasing a home.
Not exact matches
When thinking
about your down payment, note that some home
deposits will equal as much as 3 % of your offer amount for an
earnest money deposit plus another 20 % in mortgage down payment.
An
earnest money deposit basically says to the seller you are serious
about buying his / her house and thus willing to put your
money where your mouth is.
Earnest money deposit: Your offer for a home should be accompanied by an
earnest money deposit to show the seller you are serious
about buying their home.
The sales contract will specifically state when you need to cough up the
earnest money deposit, which is cash you provide upfront to show the seller that you're serious
about buying the property (the typical amount is 3 % to 5 % of the sales price of the house).
First there is
earnest money, a nominal, good - faith
deposit that demonstrates you're serious
about buying the home.
An
earnest money deposit tells a seller you are serious
about closing.
When thinking
about your down payment, note that some home
deposits will equal as much as 3 % of your offer amount for an
earnest money deposit plus another 20 % in mortgage down payment.
Many sellers want prospective borrowers to put up
earnest money, which is similar to a good faith
deposit showing they're serious
about buying the property.
The only cash you'll need is a
deposit for
earnest money to show the sellers you are
earnest or serious
about buying their house (this can be refunded later if all your closing costs are covered by seller / lender) and
about $ 400 for the appraisal report.
There are many real estate wholesalers that are nervous
about not putting anything down and ultimately put hundreds, if not thousands of dollar in place as the
earnest money deposit.
We all know that the
earnest money deposit is there to reassure the seller that a buyer is serious
about purchasing a property.
A good piece of advice if you are having a problem with an
earnest money deposit, is to speak with an experienced Florida real estate lawyer to learn
about your rights.
After your offer has been accepted and you have completed the Purchase Agreement, your real estate agent will place an initial
deposit (usually your
earnest money, or
about 1 % to 2 % of the purchase price) in this escrow account.
Before sending a
deposit,
earnest money, down - payment, rent or other
money, you probably should visit and see the property first and confirm that everything
about the property matches what was advertised, described or represented to you.