Earnest Money

North Carolina’s due diligence fee is a non-refundable payment made by the buyer directly to the seller at the time a contract is signed. It grants the buyer a negotiated window of time, called the Due Diligence Period, to investigate the property, conduct inspections, secure financing, and decide whether to proceed. Unlike earnest money, which is held in escrow and can be refunded, the due diligence fee belongs to the seller from the moment the contract is executed. North Carolina is the only state in the country that structures residential real estate contracts this way, which catches many buyers relocating to the Triangle completely off guard.