Home Sale Law in Iowa

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.

In Ottumwa, Iowa, it's perfectly legal for individuals to buy and sell homes without the assistance of a third party. Nonetheless, this isn't the only option, and isn't always the best option, either.

Therefore, it's typically 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.

Ottumwa, Iowa real estate brokers are typically paid by taking a pre-determined portion of the house's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Ottumwa, Iowa

Any direct questions asked of the seller by the buyer must be answered truthfully. This is particularly the case if the buyer asks about defects in the property. If the seller lies in response to such questions, they have just committed a very significant form of fraud. If the buyer later discovers this defect (after buying the property) he can sue the seller for any physical or financial harm caused by it.

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 should remember, nonetheless, that if they are not blameless in their failure to discover defects, they might not be able to recover if they sue.

Therefore, if a buyer fails to conduct a reasonable expectation of the property, he or she cannot recover for any harm caused by defects that such an inspection would have revealed.

Can a Ottumwa, Iowa Real Estate Attorney help?

Buying a house can be an exciting, but challenging, experience. Most home buyers want to focus on the positive aspects that come with home-ownership, and ignore the tedious paperwork and legal issues. A reliable Ottumwa, Iowa real estate attorney can enable this.