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Earnest money is the amount of money put down for a large purchase. While this is not limited to real estate, it is used frequently in the real estate industry. It’s a sign of good faith from the buyer to the seller and normally constitutes about 1%-5% of the home’s price.
There is no set amount for how much you can put down in your earnest account. However, the more money you put into these accounts, the more likely you are to be taken seriously by the seller.
Property laws in most states have strict regulations for who holds the money. Most often a third-party escrow company, title company or sometimes the buyer’s broker opens a trust account to hold the funds until completion or dissolution of the sales contract. At that point, the funds go to wherever the contract specifies. That could be back to the buyer or forfeited to the seller. In some cases, the earnest money might go to the real estate agent. If the sale goes through, the funds go toward the buyer’s costs in the transaction, and it appears as a credit on the settlement statement.
To protect yourself from forfeiting earnest money, be fully prepared to complete the sales transaction. Have a pre-qualification letter from your lender, set aside funds for the down payment and closing, and provide the lender, escrow officer, title company and all other interested parties with the information they need for a timely close.
If you wonder about how much earnest money to include, your best resource is your knowledgeable real estate professional.
Maria has called the Emerald Coast home since 1979 and has seen all the changes and growth! She looks forward to assisting you with the purchase of your primary home, second home or vacation rental investment.
She is very knowledgeable about the area’s real estate market and walks her customers through the entire process to make their buying or selling experience as easy as possible. She is honest, loyal and patient, doing what it takes to get to closing day. Within her 25 years in Real Estate, she has been an assistant, partner in a real estate team, managed agents and building her own team.
