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 Lawrence, 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 contact 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 Lawrence, New York, real estate brokers are normally compensated with a percentage of the home's sale price.

Getting a Mortgage in Lawrence, New York

If the buyer asks the seller a question about the physical condition of the home, the seller is legally bound to answer it honestly. If the seller lies when asked a direct question, they have committed a serious form of fraud, and, if sued by the buyer, will incur substantialt liability.

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. Usually, 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.

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

Consequently, buyers must inspect the property before they buy it. If they don't, they can't sue for any defects they later become aware of, if an inspection would have revealed those defects.

Can a Lawrence, 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 Lawrence, 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.