Usually yes, if you act within your contingency windows. Whether you keep your earnest money depends entirely on when and why you walk. Here is how it actually works in Oregon.

Before the seller accepts, you are free

An offer is just an offer until the seller signs it. Up to that moment you can withdraw for any reason. Once both parties have signed, you have a binding contract, and your exits are the ones written into it.

Your contingencies are your exits

A typical Oregon purchase agreement includes several. The inspection contingency is the broadest: during the inspection period, commonly ten business days, a buyer can walk based on the property’s condition and keep the earnest money. The financing contingency protects you if your loan falls through despite a good-faith effort. The appraisal contingency covers a low appraisal. The title contingency lets you object to problems in the title report. On rural property around here, well, septic, and water testing contingencies do the same work and are worth their weight in gold.

The pattern in all of these: exercise the contingency inside its window, in writing, and the earnest money typically comes back to you. Miss the window, or back out for a reason the contract does not cover, and the seller usually has a claim to it.

What walking away actually costs

Earnest money in this market commonly runs one to three percent of the purchase price, and in most Oregon contracts it is the seller’s remedy if the buyer simply changes their mind after contingencies expire. You will also be out whatever you spent on inspections and the appraisal, which stay spent no matter what. Those are the stakes, and they are exactly why the contingency deadlines deserve a calendar reminder the day the contract is signed.

The real lesson

Most buyers who feel trapped in a purchase got there because the contract was written loosely at the start. The time to protect your exit is when the offer is drafted, and for anything unusual in your situation, a real estate attorney is the right second call. Writing offers that protect buyers is a core part of my job, and if you are heading toward a purchase and want the contingencies explained against your actual situation, book a consultation and bring your questions.

More questions: How long does it take to close on a house in Oregon? · How much does a realtor cost in Oregon? · How much does it cost to sell a house in Oregon?