Home Sale Law in Georgia

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

Because of the complexity of these issues, most people in Chatham County, Georgia don't opt to sell real estate themselves, even though there are no laws barring them from doing so.

Accordingly, 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 process much easier, helping deal with the tedious details and formalities.

In Chatham County, Georgia, real estate brokers are typically compensated with a percentage of the home's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Chatham County, Georgia

First and foremost, if a buyer asks any question of the seller relating to physical defects in the property, the seller must, under all circumstances, 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

There are some defects which should be disclosed whether asked or not. Any defect which the seller is aware of, and the buyer can't be reasonably expected to discover before buying the house, must be disclosed.

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

In general, buyers of real estate have to conduct diligent inspections of property they wish to purchase. A failure to do so might prevent the buyer from recovering if they're injured by a defect which they could have discovered.

Can a Chatham County, Georgia 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 good Chatham County, Georgia real estate attorney can help you focus on the positive aspects, and avoid dealing with the most difficult and tedious (but nonetheless necessary) aspects.