Read the highlights first. The whole contract second.
Most people skim a purchase agreement for the price and the closing date — then get surprised by the earnest money deadline, the inspection clock, or what happens if the appraisal comes in low. The details that matter most aren't the biggest numbers on the page. They're the deadlines, the contingencies, and the escape hatches.
Tap any numbered clause in the sample agreement below. You'll get the plain-English version, why it matters from a buyer's seat and a seller's seat, and the one detail people most often miss.
One sample agreement, nine clauses that decide everything
The example below mirrors the structure of the standard Minnesota purchase agreement. The names and numbers are illustrative — tap a clause to see it translated.
Purchase Agreement
For illustration only — not an official form
Sample — Do Not SignPrepared for education by Allison Deal, Pemberton Real Estate. Actual transactions use the current Minnesota Realtors® forms.
How much earnest money are we talking about?
Earnest money is the good-faith deposit that comes with your offer. There's no law that sets the amount — it's negotiated — but in the Twin Cities, offers commonly land in the 1–2% range, with stronger offers sometimes going higher. Try it:
That's 2% of $450,000 — typically delivered within 3 business days of an accepted offer, held in the listing broker's trust account, and applied to your down payment and closing costs at closing.
Illustrative only. The right amount depends on the home, the competition, and your comfort with risk — because if you default outside your contingencies, the seller may keep it. This is a strategy conversation, not a formula. Allison will help you pick the number that strengthens your offer without overexposing you.
What happens between “accepted!” and closing day
Every date in the agreement is a deadline with consequences. Here's the typical rhythm of a Minnesota transaction once both sides sign:
Offer accepted
Day 0Signatures make it a binding contract. Every clock in the agreement starts now — not at closing, not “when you get around to it.”
Earnest money delivered
Within 3 business daysThe deposit is due fast — commonly within three business days of acceptance. Missing this deadline can put the buyer in default on day three.
Inspection window
Often 7–10 daysIf the offer includes an inspection contingency, the inspection, any negotiations, and any cancellation must all happen inside this negotiated window.
Appraisal & final loan approval
Weeks 2–4The lender orders the appraisal and finishes underwriting. This is where low appraisals and financing hiccups surface — the addenda decide who absorbs them.
Final walkthrough & closing
Closing date in the contractBuyer confirms the home's condition, both sides sign with the title company, funds move, and keys change hands — usually the same day.
The addenda: where the real protections live
The main agreement is the skeleton. The addenda attached to it carry most of the protections — and skipping one, or signing one you didn't mean to, changes the deal.
Financing Addendum
States the loan type, down payment, and rate terms — and whether the sale depends on the buyer actually getting the loan. Without it, a denied loan may not be an exit.
Inspection Contingency Addendum
Creates the inspection window and the buyer's right to negotiate or walk based on findings. Waiving it strengthens an offer but removes the safety net.
Seller's Property Disclosure
Minnesota law generally requires sellers to disclose known material facts about the property in writing — or formally waive disclosure in specific situations. Buyers: read every line.
Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
Federal law requires disclosure of known lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, plus an EPA pamphlet and an optional testing window.
Well & Septic Addenda
Common outside city services: who's responsible for testing, compliance inspections, and bringing a failing system up to code — and at whose cost.
Association / CIC Addendum
Triggers delivery of HOA documents — budgets, rules, dues — and a review period during which the buyer can often rescind. The dues and rules become part of your real monthly cost.
Arbitration Disclosure
In Minnesota this is optional and separate: signing it means certain disputes go to arbitration instead of court. Never initial it on autopilot — ask what you're choosing.
Sale-of-Home Contingency
Makes the purchase depend on selling the buyer's current home, often with a seller “kick-out” right if a better offer arrives. Powerful, but it weakens your offer — timing matters.
“Other” Addenda & Amendments
Personal property deals, seller concessions, closing-date changes, price changes after appraisal — if it isn't written here, it generally isn't part of the deal. Get it in writing.
Allison's 60-second contract check
- ✓Every blank is filled — or deliberately crossed out.An empty line is an unanswered question, and unanswered questions become arguments later.
- ✓Every date is a date you can actually hit.Earnest money, inspection, closing — deadlines are obligations, not suggestions.
- ✓The money math adds up on page one.Price minus loan minus earnest money should equal the cash you'll actually bring to closing.
- ✓Included items are named, not assumed.Appliances, fixtures, that freezer in the garage — if it's not written in, don't count on it being there.
- ✓You know your exits — and their deadlines.Which contingencies protect you, when each one expires, and what it costs if you walk outside them.
- ✓Initials and signatures are everywhere they should be.Missing initials on an addendum can make that protection unenforceable. Slow down at the end.
Questions buyers & sellers ask Allison
Is a signed purchase agreement really binding?
Yes. Once buyer and seller have both signed (and any required initialed addenda are in place), it's an enforceable contract — not a “maybe.” That's exactly why the contingency deadlines matter so much: they are your agreed-upon ways out.
Can I get my earnest money back if I change my mind?
It depends on why and when. Walking away inside a valid contingency window (for example, during the inspection period, following its rules) generally protects the earnest money. Walking away outside those protections can mean the seller keeps it. In Minnesota, earnest money also can't be released if there's a dispute without agreement or a court order — so the paperwork trail matters.
What if the appraisal comes in below the price?
The lender will only lend against the appraised value. What happens next — renegotiate, split the gap, buyer covers it in cash, or cancel under the financing terms — is decided by what your agreement and financing addendum say. This is one of the most valuable clauses to talk through before you offer, not after.
As a seller, what's my biggest risk in the agreement?
Two things: incomplete disclosure, and accepting terms you didn't price in — a long inspection window, a sale-of-home contingency, or repairs promised in writing. The highest offer isn't always the strongest offer. Allison compares offers on price and risk side by side.
Questions about boundaries, amenities, or anything the contract doesn't cover? Just ask Allison — she'll point you to the right official source.
Can Allison just send me the full blank form to read?
When you're actively working together and getting ready to write or receive an offer, yes — she'll go through the current official form with you clause by clause, exactly like this guide but with your real numbers. She doesn't post the blank form publicly because the forms are licensed, revised on a cycle, and genuinely confusing without context (which defeats the purpose).
Should I have an attorney review it too?
You're always free to — and for estates, trusts, divorces, or unusual property situations, Allison will suggest it herself. She's a licensed real estate professional, not a lawyer, and this guide is education, not legal advice.
Reading about an offer is step one. Writing a strong one is step two.
Whether you're buying your first home, selling the one you've loved for years, or doing both at once — Allison will walk your actual agreement with you, line by line, before anyone signs anything.
Book a free call with Allison →Educational content only — not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not a substitute for the current official Minnesota Realtors® forms or guidance from your own attorney. Clause descriptions reflect common Minnesota practice; every transaction's terms are negotiated and may differ. Earnest money ranges, timelines, and procedures described as “typical” or “common” are illustrative examples, not guarantees.