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 people in Lackawanna, New York don't opt to sell real estate themselves, even though there are no laws barring them from doing so.

One good way to help a real estate sale or purchase go smoothly is to hire 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 Lackawanna, New York, real estate brokers are typically compensated with a percentage of the home's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Lackawanna, New York

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.

Most significant 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 discover it through a normal inspection, the seller must disclose it.

Buyers, however, also have duties in this area. A buyer will not be rewarded for failing to exercise due 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 Lackawanna, 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 good Lackawanna, 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.