Amendment
A written change to a contract already in force. A repair amendment after inspection is the most common example.
Every term like this one lights up in the step you're on.
Free to set up. No credit card.Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
An amendment changes a term already agreed, where an addendum adds one. Both need every signature, and the title company works from the final set, so a missing signature can hold up closing over a change everyone agreed to.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
The contract says closing on June 14. The buyer's lender needs a week more. An amendment moves closing to June 21 and both sides sign it.
| The change | What it usually takes |
|---|---|
| A new closing date | One amendment, signed by both sides, before the old date passes |
| A lower price after the appraisal | A price amendment; the lender gets a copy so the loan matches |
| A verbal agreement nobody wrote | No amendment, so the contract reads as it did before |
An amendment is the contract catching up with what the two sides now agree.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That an amendment and an addendum are the same thing. An amendment changes something already in the contract; an addendum adds something that was not there.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
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