Home Sale Law in Massachusetts

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

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

One good way to help a real estate sale or purchase go smoothly is to hire a real estate broker. These professionals can help you find the right house within your budget, or help you find suitable buyers for a house you're selling.

Some Wenham, Massachusetts real estate brokers charge a flat fee, but most take a relatively small percentage of the sale price of a house they help a client sell.

Getting a Mortgage in Wenham, Massachusetts

If the buyer asks the seller a question about the physical condition of the home, the seller is legally bound to answer it honestly. If the seller lies when asked a direct question, they have committed a serious form of fraud, and, if sued by the buyer, will incur significantt liability.

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. Generally, any defect that the seller knows about and that the buyer can't be expected to discover through a reasonable inspection, it has to be disclosed.

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

Therefore, buyers must inspect the property before they buy it. If they don't, they can't sue for any defects they later become aware of, if an inspection would have revealed those defects.

Can a Wenham, Massachusetts Real Estate Attorney help?

If you are buying a home in Wenham, Massachusetts, 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 good real estate attorney can make it much easier to focus on the aspects of home ownership that matter to you.