When buying a house, when is the 20% down due?

Usually you put some earnest money up front, then pay balance at closing

quote:

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If I sign a purchase agreement to have a house built, does the 20% down get paid during the signing of the purchase agreement, or after the house is finished and I am ready to move in?

I bought a house 3 years ago but for the life of me cannot remember what I did. I'm thinking I didn't pay the 20% until the house was completed.

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I don't know if it's different for building a house, but for just buying one, it's due at closing. Did you sign paperwork when they cleared you to move in? If not, then you most likely paid it beforehand.

First off, you are building a house, not just buying one. Building a house has so many different variables (who owns the land while it's being built for example) that there isn't one set rule.


With the limited info given in the OP it's impossible to answer the question for certain. But the bottom line is that you owe whichever $$$$ whenever it says in the contract between you and your builder.

If your builder is building you a turnkey house (ie he owns the land, builds a house for you and then sells you the lot and house together). You would generally pay him a deposit to get everything started and then pay the balance once completed. If you have to borrow money to pay him the balance, then that is between you and the lender. Again, all of this should be layed out in the contract between you and your builder.