North Carolina earnest money deadline
When the buyer's good-faith deposit has to reach escrow. Miss it and the seller may be able to cancel, so it's usually the first deadline on any deal.
NC REALTORS / NCBA Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T)
Rev. 7/2026
Due Diligence Fee delivered to seller
By default it is 1 business days after the Effective Date (¶1(d) / ¶4).
Due on the Effective Date and must be delivered by the next banking day. ClosingCal uses federal holidays for banking days (Federal Reserve observance can differ slightly).
Source: www.ncrealtors.org · checked 2026-10-16
Initial earnest money delivered to escrow
By default it is 5 calendar days after the Effective Date (¶1(d)).
Source: www.ncrealtors.org · checked 2026-10-16
If it falls on a weekend or holiday
- Due Diligence Fee delivered to seller: If it lands on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day.
- Initial earnest money delivered to escrow: It does not move for weekends or holidays.
Consecutive calendar days, including weekends and holidays. Counting starts the day after the Effective Date. The form has no automatic weekend extension. Due Diligence ends at 5:00 p.m. North Carolina time.
Worked example: NC REALTORS / NCBA Offer to Purchase and Contract
NC REALTORS / NCBA Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T). Effective Date Friday, October 16, 2026. Calculated with the same rules as the calculator.
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Due Diligence Fee delivered to seller | Monday, October 19, 2026 |
| Initial earnest money delivered to escrow | Wednesday, October 21, 2026 |
Negotiated a different number?
Change it in the calculator and every date that depends on it recalculates.
Open the North Carolina calculatorFrequently asked questions
How is the "Due Diligence Fee delivered to seller" calculated on the NC REALTORS / NCBA Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T)?
By default it is 1 business days after the Effective Date (¶1(d) / ¶4). If it lands on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day.
How is the "Initial earnest money delivered to escrow" calculated on the NC REALTORS / NCBA Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T)?
By default it is 5 calendar days after the Effective Date (¶1(d)). It does not move for weekends or holidays.
Do weekends count for this deadline in North Carolina?
Consecutive calendar days, including weekends and holidays. Counting starts the day after the Effective Date. The form has no automatic weekend extension. Due Diligence ends at 5:00 p.m. North Carolina time.
Something missing or incorrect?