Should Home Buyers Include Contingencies? Here’s What to Know in Today’s Market

Contingencies aren’t just paperwork. They’re your safety net and many of them are already built into the contract. In 2025, Central Florida buyers still rely on well-structured contingencies to protect their finances, their inspection rights, and their ability to close smoothly. Even as competition has eased from the extremes of previous years, skipping contingencies rarely works in a buyer’s favor. The key is understanding how they affect your offer and not waiving them.

Inspection Contingency

This is the most important contingency for any buyer. An inspection contingency gives you the right to hire licensed inspectors and evaluate the home’s true condition. If the inspection reveals issues that materially change the value or expected maintenance, you can negotiate repairs, request credits, or walk away without penalty. In Central Florida, where roofs, AC systems, plumbing, and electrical ages vary widely, this protection is essential.

Financing Contingency

If you’re using a mortgage, this contingency protects you if the lender declines final approval or changes terms you cannot meet. Market conditions, job verification issues, or appraisal findings can shift financing quickly. Without this contingency, you risk losing your deposit if financing falls through.

Appraisal Contingency

This contingency matters when the market is moving fast or homes are priced aggressively. If the home appraises for less than the contract price, you have three options: negotiate a lower price, meet in the middle, or exit the contract.
Central Florida’s late-2025 values are steady but still rising unevenly across sub-markets. Appraisals remain a critical checkpoint.

Title and Survey Contingencies

These protect you from buying a home with unresolved liens, boundary problems, or ownership issues. In older neighborhoods or rural areas around Minneola and Montverde, survey discrepancies and old easements appear more frequently than buyers expect.

Home Sale Contingency

Not always ideal in competitive neighborhoods, but still useful for buyers who need to sell their current home first. It’s most effective in situations where the seller has time and the property has moderate demand.

Insurance Contingency

Given Florida’s insurance landscape, this contingency has become increasingly important. If homeowners insurance or flood insurance quotes come back higher than anticipated, you can renegotiate or cancel. This prevents buyers from being locked into unaffordable premiums after closing.

Bottom Line

Contingencies aren’t obstacles. They’re your structured way to manage risk. The right set of contingencies protects your deposit, your financing, your inspection rights, and your long-term financial stability.

If you’re preparing to buy in Central Florida, I can help you choose the right contingencies and structure an offer that protects you without weakening your negotiating position. Let’s build a smart, safe offer strategy for your next home.