Can a seller back out after signing closing papers? Technically, a seller can back out any time before the escrow records the grant deed.How do Sellers get paid? There's a line where you can state how many days the seller has to return the earnest money and if not filled out defaults to 180 days. An escrow account is a third-party account that holds a good faith deposit payment for the house, which eventually goes towards the downpayment of the house. A contingency is a condition of a contract that governs when and under what circumstances a buyer can cancel the contract. An escrow holdback becomes the easy solution for completing the transaction, while pushing an issue like possession or repairs to a later date. See the escrow is paid to be the neutral third party that gathers all the money and disperses it all properly. Escrow holds money until a transaction is complete. In real estate, this can mean safeguarding funds for downpayment, taxes and insurance.