When Is Earnest Money Due? Check These Contract Dates

Earnest money is due according to the purchase agreement and applicable requirements. Read the actual deadline, what starts the clock and what counts as delivery. The signing date, effective date, escrow opening date and date money arrives are not automatically interchangeable.

Why a generic three-day answer can be misleading

The Texas Real Estate Commission describes a three-day delivery provision for earnest money and option fees in its identified residential resale form. That is a specific form example, not a national rule for every wholesale, commercial or investment contract. Your agreement may use a different deadline or additional provisions.

Ask the professional handling your contract to confirm the effective date and how weekends, holidays and additional deposits are treated. Do not assume an extension without checking the provision that creates it. Likewise, the inspection or termination deadline may run on a different schedule from the deposit deadline.

Build a timeline that separates the events

• Contract becomes effective: identify the event and date used by the agreement.
• Deposit is due: record the amount, recipient and required delivery method.
• Delivery is confirmed: obtain the appropriate confirmation from the settlement team.
• Contract review dates arrive: track inspection, financing or other relevant conditions separately.
• Additional deposit is due: include any later payment rather than stopping at the initial EMD.

The timeline should show what is confirmed and what still needs an answer. A funding application submitted at noon is not confirmation that the escrow holder received money that afternoon. Leave time for the parties to review documents and resolve mismatched names or amounts.

What to include in a time-sensitive funding request

Send the executed agreement and amendments through the approved intake process. State the deposit amount, deadline, property and settlement contact. Explain whether the deadline is approaching or has already passed; those are different situations. Tell the funder if another deposit is also scheduled.

If the date changes, provide the updated documentation. A screenshot of a calendar entry is not a substitute for the agreement the parties are relying on. Keep the purchase deadline and the requested funding time visible as separate fields in your deal summary.

What if the deadline has already passed?

Contact your settlement professional or attorney promptly to understand the agreement and available next steps. Do not assume that late payment cures every issue, or that submitting an EMD request extends the contract. This guide does not determine default, termination or any party’s remedies.

Use the wholesale funding resource hub to distinguish deposit funding from purchase funding. For an EMD review, begin with the actual contract dates rather than a general promise of fast funding.