Home Sale Law in Pennsylvania

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 it's possible in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania for individuals to buy or sell property on their own, this is not the only (or necessarily best) option. There are many intricate legal and financial issues involved, so the assistance of a professional is advisable.

For that reason, it's typically best to buy and sell property through a real estate broker. This is a person who helps a person buy or sell a home. They help as an intermediary between the buyer and seller, help sellers find buyers, and help prospective buyers. They also handle a great deal of the paperwork and other formalities involved.

In Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, 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 Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

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 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 know through a reasonable inspection, it has to be disclosed.

Of course, buyers are also expected to conduct due diligence. In a case for nondisclosure, courts won't reward a lack of diligence.

Therefore, if a buyer fails to conduct a reasonable expectation of the property, he or she cannot recover for any harm caused by defects that such an inspection would have revealed.

Can a Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Real Estate Attorney help?

When buying a house, most individuals want to focus on the aspects that directly matter to them, such as moving in. For that reason, it's highly desirable that the process of buying and selling a house goes as smoothly as possible. To that end, a good Shippensburg, Pennsylvania real estate attorney could be invaluable.