Under the "Statute of Frauds" in your state, found at Kentucky statutes 371.010, a contract to buy real estate must be in writing to be enforceable; an oral contract (that, not "verbal," is the correct term) is not enforceable. So she is not bound to the contract and can "back out" of it.You can likley recover your money even though the contract is not enforceable, under theories of "fraud" (misrepresenting to you her intention to sell) and/or "unjust enrichment" (it would be unjust to allow her to keep your money without you getting anything for it). So if necessary, you can likely sue her for the return of your money, but cannot force her to sell. In the future, always get any real estate contract in writing.