Home Sale Law in Maine

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.

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

Accordingly, 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 process much easier, helping deal with the tedious details and formalities.

In Pittsfield, Maine, real estate brokers are typically compensated with a percentage of the home's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Pittsfield, Maine

First and foremost, if a buyer asks any question of the seller relating to physical defects in the property, the seller must, under all circumstances, be as truthful as possible. In this case being "as truthful as possible" means answering such questions to the best of your knowledge, and making reasonable efforts to find the answers if you don't know them. Lying in this case is very bad idea, and will expose you to serious civil penalties

Furthermore, most defects should be disclosed even if the buyer doesn't directly ask about them. Generally, defects which must be disclosed are those which are known to the seller, and which the buyer cannot be expected to find through a regular inspection.

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

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

Can a Pittsfield, Maine Real Estate Attorney help?

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