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 Youngstown, 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 assist as middlemen or women between the buyers and sellers of real estate.
In Youngstown, Ohio, brokers normally receive compensation in the form of a percentage of the sale price of the home.
Getting a Mortgage in Youngstown, 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 considerablet liability.
Most considerable 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 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.
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 Youngstown, Ohio Real Estate Attorney help?
If you are buying a home in Youngstown, 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 brilliant real estate attorney can make it much easier to focus on the aspects of home ownership that matter to you.