Earnest payment

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An earnest payment or earnest money is a specific form of security deposit made in some major transactions such as real estate dealings or required by some official procurement processes to demonstrate that the applicant is serious and willing to demonstrate an earnest of good faith about wanting to complete the transaction. [1]

In the Middle Ages, the earnest payment was called variously an earnest penny, Arles penny, [2] or God's silver (in Latin Argentum Dei). It was either money or a valuable coin or token given to bind a bargain, notably for the purchase or hiring of a servant. [3] According to Black's Law Dictionary (sixth ed.), Et cepit de praedicto Henrico tres denarios de Argento Dei prae manibus ("And he took it from the aforesaid Henry [sealed by a] silver three pence [piece] handed over [in the sight of] God").

A potential buyer of property of high value such as residential real estate generally signs a contract and pays a sum acceptable to the seller by way of earnest money. The amount varies enormously, depending upon local custom and the state of the local market at the time of contract negotiations. If the seller accepts the offer, the earnest money is held in trust or escrow. [4]

These funds may be held directly by the seller's attorney, the real estate broker (as in the State of New York) or by a settlement or title company (as in states like California, Florida, and Texas).

When the transaction is settled then the deposit is applied to the buyer's portion of the remaining costs. If the offer is rejected, the earnest money is usually returned, since no binding contract has been entered into. [4] [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of real property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien. A typical conveyancing transaction has two major phases: the exchange of contracts and completion.

An escrow is a contractual arrangement in which a third party receives and disburses money or property for the primary transacting parties, with the disbursement dependent on conditions agreed to by the transacting parties. Examples include an account established by a broker for holding funds on behalf of the broker's principal or some other person until the consummation or termination of a transaction; or, a trust account held in the borrower's name to pay obligations such as property taxes and insurance premiums. The word derives from the Old French word escroue, meaning a scrap of paper or a scroll of parchment; this indicated the deed that a third party held until a transaction was completed.

This aims to be a complete list of the articles on real estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Factoring (finance)</span> Financial transaction and a type of debtor finance

Factoring is a financial transaction and a type of debtor finance in which a business sells its accounts receivable to a third party at a discount. A business will sometimes factor its receivable assets to meet its present and immediate cash needs. Forfaiting is a factoring arrangement used in international trade finance by exporters who wish to sell their receivables to a forfaiter. Factoring is commonly referred to as accounts receivable factoring, invoice factoring, and sometimes accounts receivable financing. Accounts receivable financing is a term more accurately used to describe a form of asset based lending against accounts receivable. The Commercial Finance Association is the leading trade association of the asset-based lending and factoring industries.

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A real estate contract is a contract between parties for the purchase and sale, exchange, or other conveyance of real estate. The sale of land is governed by the laws and practices of the jurisdiction in which the land is located. Real estate called leasehold estate is actually a rental of real property such as an apartment, and leases cover such rentals since they typically do not result in recordable deeds. Freehold conveyances of real estate are covered by real estate contracts, including conveying fee simple title, life estates, remainder estates, and freehold easements. Real estate contracts are typically bilateral contracts and should have the legal requirements specified by contract law in general and should also be in writing to be enforceable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lease purchase contract</span>

A Lease-Purchase Contract, also known as a lease purchase agreement or rent-to-own agreement, allows consumers to obtain durable goods or rent-to-own real estate without entering into a standard credit contract. It is a shortened name for a lease with option to purchase contract. For real estate, a lease purchase contract combines elements of a traditional rental agreement with an exclusive right of first refusal option for later purchase of the home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For sale by owner</span>

For sale by owner (FSBO) is the process of selling real estate without the representation of a broker or agent. Homeowners may employ the services of marketing, online listing companies, or market their own property. Typically, they represent themselves with the help of a lawyer or solicitor throughout the sale. As in most areas, there are detailed legal requirements pertaining to sellers and disclosures they must make.

Down payment, is an initial up-front partial payment for the purchase of expensive items/services such as a car or a house. It is usually paid in cash or equivalent at the time of finalizing the transaction. A loan of some sort is then required to finance the remainder of the payment.

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Flipping is a term used to describe purchasing a revenue-generating asset and quickly reselling it for profit.

A listing contract is a contract between a real estate broker and an owner of real property granting the broker the authority to act as the owner's agent in the sale of the property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business broker</span>

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A buyer brokerage or buyer agency is the practice of real estate brokers and their agents representing a buyer in a real estate transaction rather than, by default, representing the seller either directly or as a sub-agent. In the United Kingdom and Australia, the most common term is buying agent.

Flat-fee multiple listing service or flat-fee MLS refers to the practice in the real estate industry of a seller entering into an "à la carte service agreement" with a real estate broker who accepts a flat fee rather than a percentage of the sale price for the listing side of the transaction. A flat-fee MLS brokerage typically unbundles the services a traditional real estate brokerage offers and lists the property for sale in the local multiple listing service (MLS) à la carte without requiring the seller to use all services.

In a real estate context, an option fee is money paid by a Buyer to a Seller for the option to terminate a real estate contract.

In real estate, creative financing is non-traditional or uncommon means of buying land or property. The goal of creative financing is generally to purchase, or finance a property, with the buyer/investor using as little of his own money as possible, otherwise known as leveraging. Using these techniques an investor may be able to purchase multiple properties using little, or none, of his "own money".

A real estate transaction is the process whereby rights in a unit of property is transferred between two or more parties, e.g. in case of conveyance one party being the seller(s) and the other being the buyer(s). It can often be quite complicated due to the complexity of the property rights being transferred, the amount of money being exchanged, and government regulations. Conventions and requirements also vary considerably among different countries of the world and among smaller legal entities (jurisdictions).

References

  1. Andrews, Neil (2016). Arbitration and contract law : common law perspectives. Switzerland: Springer. pp. 279–333. ISBN   978-3-319-27142-2.
  2. "Arles penny". Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  3. "earnest-penny definition · LSData". www.lsd.law. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  4. 1 2 "Earnest Money: What It Is and How Much It Is in Real Estate". Investopedia. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  5. "earnest payment". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2023-06-27.