Chris Eskelsen, The realtor does not keep your earnest money. The seller gets to keep your earnest money for backing out of the deal, for whatever reason. That is why there is such a thing as earnest money. It is a non-refundable deposit. The earnest money is to compensate the seller for holding the house for you, instead of selling it to someone else. If you would have bought the house, the earnest money would have been deducted from the selling cost. Sorry you lost out.
Anna Sparky's Mom
