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The amount of earnest money appears on closing statements as a credit to the buyer because it represents an amount that they have already paid and is applied toward their closing costs or down payment. When a buyer submits earnest money, it shows good faith in their intent to purchase the property, and it creates a lien against the property until the transaction is finalized.

During the closing process, this earnest money is credited back to the buyer on the closing statement to ensure that their total cash needed for the transaction reflects the payment they have already made. This is an important detail in the closing process, as it helps clarify how much more money the buyer needs to bring to closing and ensures an accurate accounting of funds.

In contrast, the seller does not receive a debit for the earnest money since this amount is not an expense incurred by them. Instead, it's essentially a prepayment made by the buyer that ultimately benefits them by reducing their financial obligations at closing.