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 possibly life-changing financial and legal decisions.

While there are no laws in Lincolnton, North Carolina against persons buying or selling real estate on their own, this is rarely the ideal way to go, given the many legal issues surrounding the sale of property.

One good way to help a real estate sale or purchase go smoothly is to retain a real estate broker. These professionals can help you find the right house within your budget, or help you find suitable buyers for a house you're selling.

In Lincolnton, North Carolina, brokers normally receive compensation in the form of a percentage of the sale price of the home.

Getting a Mortgage in Lincolnton, North Carolina

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.

Most considerable defects (those which have any effect on the value or safety of the home) should be disclosed even if the buyer doesn't ask about them. If the seller knows of a defect, and a reasonable buyer wouldn't be able to know it through a normal inspection, the seller must disclose it.

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.

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

Can a Lincolnton, North Carolina Real Estate Attorney help?

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