|
What does contingent mean in real estate?
A contingency is text added to a purchase agreement that specifies certain terms that must be met in order for the sale to proceed.
|
When you receive an offer, it’s important to carefully review it for any contingencies.
This post will define typical contingencies on a purchase contract and will explain what each one means to you and your home sale.
đź’ˇTip: We highly recommend working with a real estate agent to help you navigate contingencies and other contract negotiations. Without experience, managing legal matters without an agent or real estate attorney can be risky.
4 Real Estate Contingencies to Know
1. Financing Contingencies
Most real estate purchase agreements include a financing contingency. It essentially allows buyers to withdraw from the purchase agreement without penalty if they’re unable to obtain a mortgage or close a loan. Most purchase agreements state that the buyer has 45 to 50 days to secure a loan. The contingency usually also lists out the details about the financing, such as what type of loan it is, the amount of the down payment, the loan term and what the interest rate is.
In some circumstances, buyers opt to omit the financing contingency, which means they are taking on a pretty substantial financial risk if they’re unable to obtain financing. This would typically only happen in a hot market when a buyer wants to show their confidence and to be more appealing to a seller considering multiple offers. In this case, the buyer would typically be, at the very least, forfeiting any earnest money they put down on the sale if the financing fails to come through.
What it Means to Sellers
Since this is a common contingency that is found in most loans, there’s no reason to be concerned about it. Just make sure the number of days the buyer has to obtain the loan falls into the normal range of 45-60.
3. Appraisal Contingencies
An appraisal contingency is included in most real estate offers when the buyer is relying on bank financing to purchase the home. The lender will require that an appraisal is performed to ensure that the property is valued at or below the requested loan amount. If the home doesn’t appraise high enough, the lender will refuse to finance the purchase.
What it Means to Sellers
Generally, this contingency is nothing to worry about. The only issue that could arise is if your appraisal comes in low and it’s going to cause the buyer’s loan to be denied. If that happens and you feel like there was an error made, you have the right to request a second appraisal from another party. Alternatively, you can re-negotiate the sales price with the buyer to settle on a price that values the property at or below the loan amount. If you choose not to take either of these steps, the buyer has the right to cancel the contract.
3. Home Inspection Contingencies
This clause is intended to protect the buyer against damage that may affect the value of the home. It allows the buyer a certain time frame to inspect the home and withdraw from the agreement if she isn’t satisfied with its condition. During this time, the buyer may bring in any number of inspectors, contractors, exterminators, electricians and plumbers to inspect the property.
What it Means to Sellers
If the inspection reveals that the home needs repairs, more negotiations often take place to determine how the repairs will be paid for and who will be responsible for ensuring they are completed.
4. Home Sale Contingencies
A buyer may include a home sale contingency if they’re depending on the sale of her existing home to purchase yours. There are two different situations that can occur with this contingency.
Situation 1: The buyer puts in an offer on your home but hasn’t received an offer on their home yet.
In this case, your home will be listed on the MLS as “under contract” – meaning it’s already got an accepted offer on it pending the home sale contingency is met. You can continue to market your home and accept offers, but many are likely to be turned off by the “under contract” status. If you get another offer that you’d like to accept, your original buyer will have a set amount of time, defined in the contract, to meet their contingency and move forward with the sale. If they fail to do so, you’ll be able to move forward with your new buyer.
Situation 2: The buyer already has an offer in on their home and it’s under contract.
In this case, you would stop marketing your home and wait for the buyer’s home to close. If their home fails to close in the period of time allotted in the contract, the contingency is not met and you can once again market your home and accept other offers.
What it Means to Sellers
In either circumstance, you’re usually looking at longer time frames and bigger risk factors. That’s why we generally suggest sellers choose not to work with buyers that have a home sale contingency in their offer. You want to make sure your sale doesn’t end up stalled heading into closing.
A real estate purchase agreement is a legal contract. If you’re unsure about the legal ramifications of certain contingencies, seek legal advice before signing the agreement.
