Buyer Guide
Making an Offer on a Home
How Georgia offers work, what goes into a competitive bid, and what happens after the seller responds. North Atlanta context throughout.
How It Works
What goes into an offer
An offer is more than a number. These are the components of a Georgia residential purchase offer and what each one signals to the seller.
Purchase price and earnest money
The offer price reflects what you believe the home is worth in the current market. Earnest money (typically 1% in North Atlanta) demonstrates commitment and goes into escrow. It is credited at closing or returned if you exit during due diligence.
Contingencies
Most offers include an inspection contingency (due diligence period), a financing contingency, and an appraisal contingency. Each gives you a defined exit right. Waiving contingencies strengthens an offer but carries real risk. That decision depends on the specific property and your situation.
Georgia Purchase and Sale Agreement
Georgia uses the GAR Purchase and Sale Agreement form. It becomes a binding contract when all parties sign and the executed copy is delivered. Key negotiated terms beyond price include the closing date, who pays which closing costs, and the due diligence period length.
After the seller responds
The seller can accept, counter, or reject. A counter-offer restarts the clock and is not a binding contract until accepted. Multiple rounds of counters are common. The goal is an executed agreement, not winning a negotiation. The home and terms you actually close on matter more than getting the last word.
Multiple-offer situations
When multiple buyers compete for the same property, sellers may set an offer deadline and request best-and-final offers. Price matters, but sellers also weigh earnest money strength, contingency length, financing type, and closing flexibility. Understanding what the seller actually wants gives you an edge that pure price escalation cannot.
Georgia Context
How Georgia contracts are different
Georgia uses specific contract forms and timelines that differ from other states. A few things buyers moving from other markets should know.
Binding on execution, not closing
In Georgia, a ratified Purchase and Sale Agreement is a binding contract the moment both parties sign and the executed copy is delivered. You are not simply "in escrow." You have agreed to buy the property on the stated terms, subject to any contingencies you have negotiated.
Due diligence period is your exit window
Georgia law recognizes a negotiated due diligence period during which you may terminate the contract for any reason and recover your earnest money. This is your inspection window, your financing-confirmation window, and your final "yes" decision. Once it ends, backing out typically forfeits earnest money.
GAR forms are standard
Most transactions in North Atlanta use Georgia Association of REALTORS® (GAR) standard forms. These are well-understood by both sides and their attorneys, which reduces friction. Custom or modified forms can be used but may prompt more scrutiny from the seller.
Closing cost responsibility is negotiated
Georgia law does not specify which party pays most closing costs; it is negotiated in the contract. Buyers can request seller contributions toward closing costs as part of the offer. In competitive situations, requesting seller contributions may weaken your offer relative to one that does not.
Work with Peter
Ready to make an offer?
Peter reviews comparable closed sales before any offer, structures terms to match what the specific seller cares about, and is available to respond quickly when timing matters. Let him know what you are looking for.
FAQ
Common offer questions
In the Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, and Forsyth County markets, earnest money of 1% of the purchase price is common, though luxury transactions and competitive situations often see higher deposits. Earnest money is held in escrow and credited toward your closing costs or down payment at closing.
The seller can accept, reject, or counter. In active markets, offers significantly below asking price are often rejected outright without a counter. Peter reviews comparable closed sales before any offer so the number you put forward is grounded in what buyers in that submarket have actually paid.
Georgia Purchase and Sale Agreements typically include a due diligence period during which you can inspect the property and walk away for any reason with your earnest money returned. The length is negotiated; 7 to 10 business days is common in North Atlanta. Once the due diligence period expires, backing out generally puts your earnest money at risk.
An offer becomes a binding contract when all parties have signed the Purchase and Sale Agreement and the executed copy has been delivered to both sides. Until that point, either party can withdraw without penalty. Georgia does not require notarization for residential purchase contracts.
Price is one lever, but not the only one. Sellers often respond to strong earnest money, a shorter due diligence period, a flexible closing date that matches their timeline, and minimal contingencies. Peter structures offers to be competitive on the terms that matter to the specific seller, not just the headline number.
Thinking of selling in North Atlanta?
Start with your home's value. Peter follows up personally with the analysis behind the number, no obligation, no pressure.
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