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 it's possible in Winterville, North Carolina for individuals to buy or sell property on their own, this is not the only (or necessarily best) option. There are many complicated legal and financial issues involved, so the assistance of a professional is advisable.

For that reason, it's normally 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 assist 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.

Winterville, North Carolina real estate brokers are normally paid by taking a pre-determined portion of the house's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Winterville, North Carolina

If the buyer asks a direct question concerning the physical condition of the property, the seller must answer it truthfully. Misrepresenting a material fact in a real estate transaction is a very serious form of fraud, and could give rise to significant damages against the seller.

There are some defects, however, that the seller should disclose whether asked or not. Typically, if the seller knows about any defects that are not readily apparent, he or she should disclose them to the buyer, whether or not the buyer specifically asks. This will greatly reduce the chances of the seller being held liable for any defects.

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

In general, buyers of real estate have to conduct diligent inspections of property they wish to purchase. A failure to do so might prevent the buyer from recovering if they're injured by a defect which they could have discovered.

Can a Winterville, North Carolina Real Estate Attorney help?

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