[MrMon]

I don't know about Atlanta, but when I worked real estate in St. louis, almost no one ever lost their earnest money. Common practice was to make a token payment to get out of the contract, as the inspection clause was always an escape clause. It was very rare for anyone to be held to a contract, especially if the reason for the change was legit. I'll guess that Atlanta has the same working relationship between realtors, but even if it doesn't, a few thousand should hardly make a difference in choosing a future like this. Make the earnest money a non-issue, in the long run it's nothing.