Home Sale Law in California

Buying or selling a home is one of the most critical decisions that most people make in their lifetime. It also involves some very complex legal and financial issues.

While no Monterey County, California law prohibits people from buying or selling land on their own, this is not always the best idea. There are many complex issues that can affect the outcome of a property sale or purchase.

Therefore, it's normally a good idea to use a real estate broker for these transactions. A real estate broker is a professional who helps people buy and sell property. They can help buyers find sellers, and vice versa. They can also handle a large percentage of the tedious details.

In Monterey County, California, real estate brokers are usually compensated with a percentage of the home's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Monterey County, California

First and foremost, if a buyer asks any question of the seller relating to physical defects in the property, the seller must, under all situations, be as truthful as possible. In this case being "as truthful as possible" means answering such questions to the best of your knowledge, and making reasonable efforts to find the answers if you don't know them. Lying in this case is very bad idea, and will expose you to serious civil penalties

In addition to disclosing any material facts the buyer directly inquires about, most "latent defects" in a house or other piece of property should be disclosed whether the buyer asks or not. Typically, any defect that the seller knows about and that the buyer can't be expected to know through a reasonable inspection, it has to be disclosed.

Buyers, nonetheless, also have duties in this area. A buyer will not be rewarded for refusing to exercise due diligence.

Typically, buyers have a duty to conduct a reasonable inspection of the property before buying it. Therefore, buyers normally can't recover for defects that could have been discovered via reasonable inspection, unless the seller actively conceals them.

Can a Monterey County, California Real Estate Attorney help?

If you're in the process of purchasing a Monterey County, California home, the advice of an accomplished real estate attorney can make the process much easier, and help ensure that no surprises come up. This will give you the peace of mind to actually enjoy your new home, rather than worry about it.