In Georgia, the due diligence period works differently than most states — and the two-check system trips up buyers constantly. You'll write a due diligence fee paid directly to the seller that's non-refundable from the moment you sign, plus separate earnest money held in escrow that you can recover if you terminate in time. Miss the deadline by a single day and your earnest money is at risk too. I work with buyers across Metro Atlanta and walk every client through this before they go under contract. Here's exactly how it works — and what you must do before the clock runs out.

Waiting for mortgage rates to fall before you buy is a bet, not a plan, and it is a bet most Atlanta buyers have lost over the last three years. Nearly a decade of helping Metro Atlanta buyers has shown me the rate question is rarely the right question: when rates drop, more buyers compete and prices rise, often erasing the savings. You can refinance a rate later. You cannot change a higher purchase price, ever. With Atlanta inventory up for a third straight year and homes averaging 60-plus days on market, buyers have real leverage right now. This is the buy-now-or-wait decision. Here's what you need to know.