Home Sale Law in Illinois

The decision to buy or sell a house, or other piece of real property, is very critical. For most, it's one of the most crucial financial decisions of their life.

While there are no laws in Salem, Illinois 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 Salem, Illinois, brokers normally receive compensation in the form of a percentage of the sale price of the home.

Getting a Mortgage in Salem, Illinois

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.

Most considerable defects (those which have any effect on the value or safety of the home) should be disclosed even if the buyer doesn't ask about them. If the seller knows of a defect, and a reasonable buyer wouldn't be able to know it through a normal inspection, the seller must disclose it.

As a buyer, you should be aware that you have some commitments in this area, too. Buyers are expected to be diligent. Failure to do so might prevent the buyer from recovering in a lawsuit.

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

Can a Salem, Illinois Real Estate Attorney help?

If you are buying a home in Salem, Illinois, there are probably things you want to focus on other than paperwork and required inspections, such as the process of moving in, checking out schools, etc. A seasoned real estate attorney can make it much easier to focus on the aspects of home ownership that matter to you.