Most buyers skim the purchase agreement and trust their agent to fill it out. That's fine for the boilerplate sections — but at least eight specific lines deserve your attention. Get them right and the deal goes smoothly. Get them wrong and you're stuck in a contract that doesn't serve you.
Offer Price + Concessions
The offer price is the obvious line. Less obvious: are you asking for seller-paid closing costs (a "seller credit")? On a $400k purchase, a $5k credit means your true offer is $395k for the seller — affecting whether they accept. Some lenders cap how much seller credit you can use; verify before requesting.
Earnest Money
Earnest money is the deposit that signals you're serious. Standard amounts are 1–3% of the purchase price in normal markets, 3–5% in competitive ones. It's held in escrow and applied to your down payment at closing. If you back out for a contingency reason, you get it back; if you back out for no reason, the seller may keep it.
Earnest money is usually due within 3 days of acceptance, by wire or cashier's check. Do not use a personal check; many escrow companies won't accept it, and a bounced earnest deposit can void the contract.
Closing Date
Most contracts target 30–45 days from acceptance. Shorter (21–25 days) signals to sellers that you're a strong, motivated buyer — they often prefer it. Longer is needed if you have a complex loan or need to coordinate selling your current home. Don't pick a date you can't hit: missing the closing date can put you in default.
Personal Property
What stays vs what goes? Refrigerator, washer/dryer, mounted TVs, drapes — none of these are automatically included. List specifically what you want to convey with the property; if it's not written into the offer, the seller can take it.
The "As-Is" Question
An "as-is" offer means the seller will not make repairs after inspection. It does NOT mean you can't inspect or back out. Your inspection contingency still lets you walk if you find something serious — you just can't demand the seller fix it. Many sellers prefer as-is offers because they remove the post-inspection negotiation drama.
The Personal Letter
Buyers sometimes write a personal letter to the seller ("We love the kitchen, we plan to raise our kids here..."). Many real estate associations now warn against these because they can introduce fair-housing risk — they reveal information about the buyer (family status, race indicators, etc.) that the seller legally can't consider. Your agent may decline to include one to avoid that risk.
Read every line. Ask your agent to explain anything that confuses you. Once signed and accepted, it's legally binding — and revisions after the fact are the seller's prerogative, not yours.
