Home Sale Law in Maryland
The decision to buy or sell a house, or other piece of real property, is very essential. For most, it's one of the most crucial financial decisions of their life.
Because of the complexity of these issues, most persons in Hagerstown, Maryland don't opt to sell real estate themselves, even though there are no laws barring them from doing so.
For that reason, it's typically best to buy and sell property through a real estate broker. This is a person who helps a person buy or sell a home. They help as an intermediary between the buyer and seller, help sellers find buyers, and help prospective buyers. They also handle a great deal of the paperwork and other formalities involved.
Hagerstown, Maryland real estate brokers are typically paid by taking a pre-determined portion of the house's sale price.
Getting a Mortgage in Hagerstown, Maryland
If the buyer asks a direct question regarding the physical condition of the property, the seller must answer it truthfully. Misrepresenting a material fact in a real estate transaction is a very significant form of fraud, and could give rise to significant damages against the seller.
Most substantial 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 Hagerstown, Maryland Real Estate Attorney help?
If you are buying a home in Hagerstown, Maryland, 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 reliable real estate attorney can make it much easier to focus on the aspects of home ownership that matter to you.