Home Sale Law in North Carolina
Buying or selling a house can be an exciting but stressful time in a person's life. It also requires a person to make a large number of potentially life-changing financial and legal decisions.
While there are no laws in Asheville, North Carolina against individuals buying or selling real estate on their own, this is rarely the best way to go, given the many legal issues surrounding the sale of property.
Many individuals, families, and small businesses rely on real estate brokers to find property for them. Real estate brokers are professionals who serve as middlemen or women between the buyers and sellers of real estate.
In Asheville, North Carolina, most real estate brokers are paid a commission, represented by a portion of the sale price of the home. Some might charge a flat fee, however.
Getting a Mortgage in Asheville, North Carolina
First if all, if the buyer asks any question about the condition of the real estate, the seller is absolutely required to answer it truthfully. If the seller provides any false information about the condition of the property, and the buyer buys it and later finds out, they can sue the seller for any harm caused, and the diminution in the house's value.
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 Asheville, North Carolina 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 Asheville, North Carolina real estate attorney can help you focus on the positive aspects, and avoid dealing with the most difficult and tedious (but nonetheless necessary) aspects.