Home Sale Law in Oregon

When you are about to buy or sell a home, there are several things that must be considered, not the least of which being the many legal and financial decisions you have to make.

While there are no laws in La Grande, Oregon against persons buying or selling real estate on their own, this is rarely the ideal way to go, given the many legal issues surrounding the sale of property.

Therefore, it's usually 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.

In La Grande, Oregon, most real estate brokers are paid a commission, represented by a part of the sale price of the home. Some might charge a flat fee, however.

Getting a Mortgage in La Grande, Oregon

If the buyer asks the seller a question about the physical condition of the home, the seller is legally required 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, nonetheless, are not off the hook in this matter. If they ignore defects that they could have quickly discovered, they probably won't be able to recover for them.

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 La Grande, Oregon Real Estate Attorney help?

If you are buying a home in La Grande, Oregon, 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 reputable real estate attorney can make it much easier to focus on the aspects of home ownership that matter to you.