Can part of the deposit be used to pay her for cleaning?

The buyer did not preform and the escrow company is saying they can’t release the funds. what step do I need to take to have the escrow company send the deposit to us?

If you don't have the money to close in time, they will likely keep the initial deposit.   

You will probably need to repaint and then deduct the cost from their deposit.

I like the idea of college rentals as you just need them to be functional not nice (since they will get beat up a little each year) and that is what deposits are for.Definitely require a co-signer, normally it is the parent of the kid. 

I have also shown properties that are just dry-walled before, and have been able to paint an accurate + attractive picture for the prospect of what they will look like finished, securing the deposits.

Worst case, you could walk away and lose your earnest money deposit.

Limitless Real Estate Group LLC - Property ManagementWe handle every aspect of realty management - General maintenance and upkeep- Demo and rehab construction- Lease processing and renewals - Tenant selection- Screenings, background checks, deposit collections and lease agreements- Property repairs- Rent collection

She put the deposit down and made 3 payments a year since.

You want them to earn their money by getting a piece of whatever they collect.An example:  The collections attorney for a bail bondsman recently won a judgment against my tenant's security deposit.