Home Sale Law in Pennsylvania

When you are about to buy or sell a home, there are several things that must be considered, not the least of which being the many legal and financial decisions you have to make.

While there are no laws in Chester County, Pennsylvania against persons buying or selling real estate on their own, this is rarely the ideal way to go, given the many legal issues surrounding the sale of property.

Therefore, many people decide to go through a real estate broker when they're buying or selling a house. A real estate broker is a professional who serves as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. They can make the procedure much easier, helping deal with the tedious details and formalities.

In Chester County, Pennsylvania, most real estate brokers are paid a commission, represented by a part of the sale price of the home. Some might charge a flat fee, however.

Getting a Mortgage in Chester County, Pennsylvania

First if all, if the buyer asks any question about the condition of the real estate, the seller is absolutely obligated to answer it truthfully. If the seller provides any false information about the condition of the property, and the buyer buys it and later finds out, they can sue the seller for any harm caused, and the diminution in the house's value.

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. Usually, 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.

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

Can a Chester County, Pennsylvania Real Estate Attorney help?

As you can imagine, there are many more legal and financial issues that can affect the outcome of a real estate transaction. However, buying a house is also a very exciting time for most people. A reliable Chester County, Pennsylvania real estate attorney can help you focus on the positive aspects, and avoid dealing with the most difficult and tedious (but nonetheless necessary) aspects.