Home Sale Law in Minnesota

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

In North Oaks, Minnesota, it's perfectly legal for individuals to buy and sell homes without the assistance of a third party. However, this isn't the only option, and isn't always the best option, either.

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 North Oaks, Minnesota, real estate brokers are typically compensated with a percentage of the home's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in North Oaks, Minnesota

Any direct questions asked of the seller by the buyer must be answered truthfully. This is especially 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 serious 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. 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.

Of course, buyers are also expected to conduct due diligence. In a lawsuit for nondisclosure, courts won't reward a lack of diligence.

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 North Oaks, Minnesota Real Estate Attorney help?

As you can imagine, there are many more legal and financial issues that can affect the outcome of a real estate transaction. However, buying a house is also a very exciting time for most people. A good North Oaks, Minnesota real estate attorney can help you focus on the positive aspects, and avoid dealing with the most difficult and tedious (but nonetheless necessary) aspects.