Separate the capital held for the transaction from escrow administration, contract review, application charges and ongoing business obligations. Whether a payment counts as investment needs its own analysis rather than inclusion simply because it relates to closing.
Allow for an unresolved holding period
Identify who bears premises, payroll or seller-extension expenses while release remains conditional. Keep personal relocation reserves separate from the investment schedule and verify current government fees. A refund arrangement may protect part of a transaction without eliminating all commercial exposure.
Review the actual terms before assuming a refusal or delay would return every amount the investor has spent. Budget for the holding period as well as the transaction, since money sitting in escrow is unavailable while costs continue. Identify the escrow agent's own fees and who bears them, any charges for amendments or extensions, and what happens to accrued interest if any.
Then account for the obligations that run during the period: rent or a deposit on premises already committed, professional fees, insurance, and any payment to the seller for keeping the business available. Where the period extends, those costs extend with it, so model a longer holding period as well as the expected one. Keep this separate from the amount in escrow, since the costs of maintaining an arrangement are not part of the investment it secures.