Earnest money is usually held within the trust account of the escrow agent, usually a licensed attorney, named in the contract until the settlement date. Earnest money is used to demonstrate "good faith" to a seller and demonstrate a buyer's willingness to complete the purchase.Due diligence money is a fee that buyers proffer at the time they make an offer on a home. In essence, it is the buyer's good faith payment to the seller. Due diligence is paid directly to the owner, non-refundable and goes towards the purchase of the house. Two very different things. Q: Is earnest money the same as a due diligence fee? When making an offer on a home in North Carolina, you'll need to provide two deposits: the Due Diligence Fee and Earnest Money. In this blog post, our agents look at earnest money vs.