A contingency clause is a contract provision that requires a specific event or action to take place in order for the contract to be considered valid.
Contingent means the seller has accepted an offer, but certain conditions need to be met before the sale closes. This means there's still a chance that the sale could fall through and the house goes back on the market, should those conditions go unmet.
The buyer has to provide one, or more, signed Contingency Removal forms. Each one removing, or more, of the contract contingencies. Once the buyer has removed all of them in writing, they may no longer receive a refund of their deposit.
A home inspection contingency is one of the most often waived conditions. This is because details of the home's condition may already be publicly available or accessible through the seller. Waiving a home inspection also doesn't impact their ability to get financing.
The contingent period usually lasts anywhere from 30 to 60 days. If you have a mortgage contingency, the buyer's due date is usually about a week before closing. Overall, a home stays in contingent status for the specified period or until the contingencies are met and the buyer closes on their new house.