Where cozy means tiny and charming means needs work.
A mortgage servicer's account holding funds for property taxes and insurance, where your money sits earning nothing.
When a buyer loses their earnest money deposit due to contract breach—the penalty for changing your mind with no valid excuse.
Funds deposited by a buyer to show serious intent to purchase—essentially a financial hostage held for good behavior.
The entity (typically a title company or real estate firm) responsible for holding the earnest money deposit in a trust account until closing. The referee who decides whose money it is if the deal falls apart.
A fraudulent scheme where someone strips a property's equity through inflated refinances or loans, leaving the owner with debt and negative equity.