Should I include a mortgage (financing) contingency?

Including a financing contingency protects a buyer's earnest money if their loan falls through for a reason beyond their control, such as an appraisal gap or a lender denial after a job change. Waiving that contingency can make an offer more attractive to a seller in a competitive situation, but it puts the buyer's deposit at real risk if financing does not close on time. A buyer who is fully underwritten and confident in their financing has more room to consider waiving it than one still shopping lenders. Brian Beatty walks buyers through that tradeoff before deciding how to structure a specific offer.