Home Sale Law in New York

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.

Because of the complexity of these issues, most persons in Dutchess County, New York don't opt to sell real estate themselves, even though there are no laws barring them from doing so.

Therefore, it's typically a good idea to use a real estate broker for these transactions. A real estate broker is a professional who helps people buy and sell property. They can help buyers find sellers, and vice versa. They can also handle a large percentage of the tedious details.

Dutchess County, New York real estate brokers are typically paid by taking a pre-determined portion of the house's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Dutchess County, New York

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.

There are some defects, however, that the seller should disclose whether asked or not. Usually, 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 Dutchess County, New York 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 knowledgeable Dutchess County, New York real estate attorney can help you focus on the positive aspects, and avoid dealing with the most difficult and tedious (but nonetheless necessary) aspects.