The inspection period is the only leverage a buyer has, and it expires

The residential contract most often used in Florida sells the property in its existing condition. The seller is not agreeing to repair anything. What the buyer gets instead is a defined inspection period, and inside it the right to cancel for any reason or no reason and receive the deposit back. That is the whole of the buyer's leverage, and it runs on a clock that does not care whether the inspector was available. Two habits protect it. Book the inspection the day the contract is signed, not the week the period ends. And count the deadline the way the contract counts it — days, not business days, with the specific cutoff time written in. What the period is for is bigger than the inspector's report. It is also when the buyer should be getting an insurance quote, reading the condominium or association documents, checking permit history with the municipality, and confirming what the taxes become after the sale. Any one of those can be the reason to walk, and all of them take longer than people plan for. Cancelling has to be done the way the contract says: in writing, delivered by the method specified, before the deadline. A phone call to the agent is not notice. If the buyer wants repairs rather than a discount, that is a negotiation the seller can refuse outright. Asking is free. Assuming is not: an as-is contract means the alternative to agreeing is the buyer walking, not the seller fixing. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change and every deal is different — check your own case with a licensed professional. Alberto Zaltzberg — Adonait · adonait.com