What is an Earnest Money Deposit?

When buying a home it is important to understand each part of the process. One thing that can confuse some people is the need to pay an earnest money deposit and how that works with their downpayment.

What is an earnest money deposit? Why are you writing that check?

Simply put, earnest money is money you put out to show you're serious about making an offer. If your offer is accepted, it becomes part of your down payment. If your offer isn't accepted, it is returned to you.

This short video put out by loanDepot (a company I am not endorsing in any way, just sharing the information from) is a great, quick explanation to help you out!

Again, my sharing this video is not a suggestion to use this company, or an endorsement. When buying, do your research looking for a lender.

I do think the info in this video is very well stated and informative, however!

Comments

Understanding Mortgage Interest Rates (VIDEO)

How do you get the interest rate that you do?

Well, there are many factors, including your credit worthiness and the interest rate set by the Federal Reserve.

The Khan Academy however, has produced a fantastic video that breaks everything down simply and makes it easier to understand.

If you are starting the process, or thinking about starting the process, of buying a home then take a few moments and watch this video to get a better understanding.

A Look at Roofing Options

When my wife and I bought our home in 2015, one of the things we wanted to know about, as may do, is the condition of the roof. There is nothing more frustrating than making a major home purchase and then finding out that you have to immediately pump thousands of dollars into it because something wasn't in a good, usable condition!

Of course, there are property disclosures that help us avoid that scenario, and those are helpful. But when it comes to your roof, even if it's in great condition today, one good hail or wind storm could potentially change that! Even without that kind of misfortune, your roof takes a beating much like the skin on your hands. Every day it takes the full force of the elements, so eventually it will come to the point of needing to be updated, maintained, or replaced.

That happened to a neighbor this past fall. When it did a group of men showed up and did something I'd never seen before... they put a metal roof on the house! Working at a church, I …

My Deal With Drains

Last year my wife and I noticed that the drain in our kitchen was starting to get very slow. Over time, despite cleaning it out and running extra hot water, it reached the point of being completely clogged. Eventually, we had to call not one, but two plumbers to get the issue totally fixed, because it turned out we had a level 5.

The stuff coming out of our drain pipe literally looked just like the stuff in this picture:

Makes you want mashed potatoes, right?

And I won't even tell you how vile it smelled. Thank the Good Lord for my wife's stash of essential oils and multiple diffusers!

Now, our problem was pretty serious, and one that had been building up (literally) for decades. Long before we moved into the house this issue existed down the drain (HA!). And the first plumber who used his auger really was a big help in giving us an understanding of what was happening and getting us on the path to clear pipes.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do all the work in one day, so we h…

The Real Estate Pastor

Search This Blog