Most contingency clauses stipulate that if significant defects are found, the buyer can cancel their offer without a penalty. In general my advice to seller clients is to consider contingent offers only when the buyer's property is already in contract."Contingent" means a contract has been signed and is an agreement to sell the property once all contingencies are satisfied. A "no contingency purchase offer" is a commitment to buy a property as it is, without any way to rescind your offer. Simply adding a contingency for every possible issue will probably not be acceptable to almost any home seller. Every home sale is different. A sales contingency is when you will need to sell your current home in order to close on the house you're offering to buy. Financing Contingency: If the buyer has trouble securing financing, they may ask for an extension or other changes to the contract. Contingency clauses are often included in contracts for home and land purchases. They typically protect the buyer from fraud and other risks.