Home Sale Law in Pennsylvania

When you are about to buy or sell a home, there are numerous 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 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania against individuals buying or selling real estate on their own, this is rarely the best way to go, given the many legal issues surrounding the sale of property.

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.

Some Lancaster County, Pennsylvania real estate brokers charge a flat fee, but most take a relatively small percentage of the sale price of a house they help a client sell.

Getting a Mortgage in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

First if all, if the buyer asks any question about the condition of the real estate, the seller is absolutely required to answer it truthfully. If the seller provides any false information about the condition of the property, and the buyer buys it and later finds out, they can sue the seller for any harm caused, and the diminution in the house's value.

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. Generally, 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.

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 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 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 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania real estate attorney can help you focus on the positive aspects, and avoid dealing with the most difficult and tedious (but nonetheless necessary) aspects.