Home Sale Law in Maine

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.

Because of the complexity of these issues, most individuals in Cape Elizabeth, Maine don't opt to sell real estate themselves, even though there are no laws barring them from doing so.

For that reason, it's normally 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 assist 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.

In Cape Elizabeth, Maine, most real estate brokers are paid a commission, represented by a part of the sale price of the home. Some might charge a flat fee, however.

Getting a Mortgage in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

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. Typically, 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.

Buyers have to conduct reasonably-diligent inspections of land they want to buy. If they refuse to do so, they can't sue for any defects which they could have easily discovered.

Can a Cape Elizabeth, Maine Real Estate Attorney help?

If you're in the process of purchasing a Cape Elizabeth, Maine home, the advice of an accomplished real estate attorney can make the process much easier, and help ensure that no surprises come up. This will give you the peace of mind to actually enjoy your new home, rather than worry about it.