Will I lose my deposit if I am denied a mortgage?
Can My Security Deposit Be Returned If My Mortgage Is Denied At Closing? If you have a contingency in place that includes an offer and purchase contract, you may be able to get your earnest money back. However, if you don't have it, you could lose it.
As long as you used a responsible party and your purchase agreement backs you up, you can request a refund of your deposit if your mortgage application is denied. To ensure you can get your deposit back if the mortgage application is declined, only hand over the deposit to a responsible party.
If your transaction is contingent on financing, and your loan application has been rejected and you have properly informed the builder about the denial and requested for your earnest money deposit, the builder MUST refund your earnest money deposit. The builder cannot refer you to other lenders with unfavorable terms.
The down payment is held by the escrow company hired to prepare all the closing documents and close the transaction. The down payment would be returned to the buyer if the transaction does not close.
Talk to your real estate lawyer and your realtor. Most likely you will lose the deposit, unless the lawyer put in the condition to return the deposit in case the loan doesn't go through. Usually the seller puts in the condition to keep the deposit in case the offer doesn't work through.
You still might qualify for a different type of mortgage, like a government-backed loan from the FHA, VA or USDA. Banks don't always offer every type of mortgage loan , so if you've been turned down by the same bank where you've been keeping your cash, in many cases, it's not you; it's them.
In most cases, if you decide not to buy a home you have put earnest money down on, you can expect to get that money back.
It's held in escrow as a show of good faith that you're interested in purchasing the home. If your bid wins, your earnest money is deducted from the amount you owe at closing. If the seller rejects your offer, your earnest money should be returned.
What happens if the buyer doesn't get financing? A: If your prospective buyer can't secure financing, you typically have several options: keep their earnest money (if specified in the contract), return the property to market, consider other buyers, or work with a cash buyer to avoid future mortgage complications.
Earnest money is returned to the buyer at closing. The buyer can choose whether to apply the funds toward a down payment, closing costs or other settlement costs. But in some cases, if certain provisions of the purchase contract are broken, the buyer will have to forfeit the earnest money and the seller will keep it.
What happens if I'm denied a mortgage?
If your loan is denied in underwriting, you can double-check your paperwork, talk to your loan officer or other lenders, look into different loan programs, or find a cosigner. Your loan can be denied if you have incomplete or missing information on your loan application or don't meet minimum mortgage requirements.
Go back and try to work out the reason for the refusal, fix any issues, and try again. If you quickly re-apply elsewhere, without fixing the issues, it may happen again. And multiple failed applications can negatively affect your credit score making things even harder for you.

A down payment is commonly paid by a buyer to a seller in order to secure a sale. It's not uncommon that, in the event that the buyer is unable or unwilling to finalise the order, the down payment is not refundable. If the buyer cancels for any reason, the down payment might not be returned.
If you decide to cancel something you paid a deposit for, the seller is usually not required to give your money back. In some cases, the seller might allow cancellations if you change your mind, depending on the terms and conditions (see above).
- Consider a townhome or condo. ...
- Prioritize healthy credit. ...
- Take on a side gig. ...
- Use a no-down mortgage loan. ...
- Use a down payment assistance program (DPA). ...
- See if you qualify for other assistance.
When buyers can lose a deposit. Generally speaking, the only time buyers can lose a deposit is if they remove conditions on their offer and do not take possession of the property as agreed in their contract.
Even if you were told "the loan was approved," if the dealer later on calls and says the loan did not go through, under the law, you have 24 hours to return the vehicle, at which time the dealer is required to refund ALL your down payment and return any trade-in.
Common Reasons Home Loans Fall Through. Mortgage approvals can fall through on closing day for a wide range of reasons, such as not acquiring the proper financing, appraisal or inspection issues or contract contingencies that weren't satisfied or violated.
One in six (16%) mortgage holders have overcome being rejected for a mortgage in the past, highlighting that getting a home loan is not something to be complacent about. Research found that over half (54%) of homeowners who were rejected took longer than three months to be accepted for another mortgage.
You will likely have forfeited your earnest money if you change your mind after removing your contingencies. However, in the state of California, a buyer must remove their contingencies by completing a contingency removal form. Otherwise, their contingencies remain in effect.
Who decides if you get your deposit back?
If you paid a deposit at the start of your tenancy, you have the right to get it back at the end. Your landlord or letting agent can only take money off if there's a good reason - for example if you've damaged the property.
The first month's rent is the amount of rent that a tenant pays for the first month of their lease. Landlords typically require tenants to pay the first month's rent up front before moving into a rental property. Landlords usually prorate the rent if a tenant moves in before the first of the month.
Denial of a Loan
If a purchase agreement includes a loan financing contingency, and a buyer is denied a loan, they can back out of the transaction and get their earnest money deposit refunded.
If your offer is rejected, it may be that you did nothing wrong. It could be that the competing offer was all-cash and 20 percent over asking. But no matter the “why,” it's still a good idea to check in with your REALTOR®. “If you lose several bidding wars in a row it's time to reevaluate your strategy,” said Hutson.
Financing and inspection contingencies protect your earnest money if your mortgage doesn't go through or the house is beyond repair. However, if you waive either contingency, you forfeit your good faith deposit if the house does not go to sale.