Home Sale Law in Ohio

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.

In Wood County, Ohio, it's perfectly legal for individuals to buy and sell homes without the assistance of a third party. However, this isn't the only option, and isn't always the best option, either.

Many individuals, families, and small businesses rely on real estate brokers to find property for them. Real estate brokers are professionals who serve as middlemen or women between the buyers and sellers of real estate.

In Wood County, Ohio, brokers usually receive compensation in the form of a percentage of the sale price of the home.

Getting a Mortgage in Wood County, Ohio

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 significantt liability.

Furthermore, most defects should be disclosed even if the buyer doesn't directly ask about them. Generally, defects which must be disclosed are those which are known to the seller, and which the buyer cannot be expected to find through a regular inspection.

Buyers should remember, however, that if they are not blameless in their failure to discover defects, they might not be able to recover if they sue.

Therefore, 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 Wood County, Ohio Real Estate Attorney help?

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