Home Sale Law in Maine

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 Caribou, 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 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.

In Caribou, 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 Caribou, 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. 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.

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.

Usually, buyers have a duty to conduct a reasonable inspection of the property before buying it. Therefore, buyers typically can't recover for defects that could have been discovered via reasonable inspection, unless the seller actively conceals them.

Can a Caribou, Maine Real Estate Attorney help?

If you are buying a home in Caribou, Maine, 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.