Buyer Termination

When a buyer’s financing falls through in North Carolina, the outcome for the seller depends entirely on when in the transaction it happens. If financing collapses during the due diligence period, the buyer can walk away and keep their earnest money, losing only the non-refundable due diligence fee. If financing fails after the due diligence deadline, the buyer is in default under NC Form 2-T, and the seller is entitled to retain the earnest money deposit. NC real estate transactions do not use traditional financing contingencies — the due diligence structure determines who is at risk and when.