Mortgage rates just climbed to 7.40%, the highest since 2023, and more Cobb County buyers are asking sellers for a rate buydown instead of a price cut. The two options often cost about the same out of pocket, but they rarely produce the same result for your net proceeds. Here is the math behind which one actually wins.

Most Kennesaw and Marietta buyers assume they need a failed inspection to walk away from a contract. In Georgia, you don't. The due diligence period gives you a negotiated window, often just 7 to 10 days, to terminate for any reason and keep your earnest money. Miss the deadline, though, and that protection disappears fast, along with your deposit.