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  1. Start thinking about your Earnest Money
    When you write an offer you'll need to come up with Earnest Money when you write the offer. It is typically applied as part of your Down Payment so it is NOT in addition to a Down Payment. It is typically about 1% of the purchase price but it is negotiated between Buyer and Seller.

    Offering less Earnest Money than the Seller is asking for will typically weaken your offer.

    That means for the following home prices, Earnest Money will typically be approximately:

    • $100,000 home - $1,000 Earnest Money
    • $200,000 home - $2,000 Earnest Money
    • $300,000 home - $3,000 Earnest Money
    • $400,000 home - $4,000 Earnest Money
    • $500,000 home - $5,000 Earnest Money

    If you're trying to buy a home with little or nothing down, it would help if you had Earnest Money to put up with your offer and if you did not use it at closing for Closing Costs, you could get a refund of your Earnest Money at Closing.

    If you don't have Earnest Money, it will be harder to negotiate getting a Seller to accept your offer so we might need to be much more flexible in house selection to find a Seller willing to accept an offer with little or no Earnest Money.

    Earnest MoneyFinancingFirst Meeting: FinancingUltimate Nomad ChecklistWeek 1

  2. Complete "Pre-Showings: Earnest Money" checklist
  3. Discuss typical amount of Earnest Money with Real Estate Broker
    Discuss the typical amount of Earnest Money with your Real Estate Broker.

    In Northern Colorado, Earnest Money is typically about 1% of the purchase price of the property but is negotiated between Buyer and Seller.

    However, offering less Earnest Money than the Seller is requesting on the MLS listing is typically considered a weaker offer.

    If you're buying a property with little or no money down (especially less than what Earnest Money would be), discuss with your Real Estate Broker some possible strategies for trying to get an offer accepted in this situations. It may be harder to get your offer accepted in these situations so you may need to be more flexible in the homes you're looking at until we find a more flexible Seller.

    Mark this task done when complete.

    ASAPEarnest MoneyFinancingMaking OffersPre-Showings: Earnest MoneyUltimate Nomad ChecklistWeek 2

  4. Determine the source of your Earnest Money
    You will need Earnest Money at the time you make your offer. It can vary and is negotiated but it is typically about 1% of the purchase price of the property you're going to buy. Earnest Money typically does count towards your Down Payment.

    For a $300,000 property, that means you'll likely need about $3,000 for Earnest Money at the time you make your offer. Do you know where those funds are and are they readily accessible?

    Discuss this with your Real Estate Broker if you have additional questions or concerns.

    Mark this task done when complete.

    ASAPEarnest MoneyFinancingMaking OffersPre-Showings: Earnest MoneyUltimate Nomad ChecklistWeek 2