Home Sale Law in Tennessee

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 no Jefferson City, Tennessee law prohibits people from buying or selling land on their own, this is not always the best idea. There are many complex issues that can affect the outcome of a property sale or purchase.

For that reason, it's normally 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 assist 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.

Some Jefferson City, Tennessee real estate brokers charge a flat fee, but most take a relatively small percentage of the sale price of a house they assist a client sell.

Getting a Mortgage in Jefferson City, Tennessee

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 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 know it through a normal inspection, the seller must disclose it.

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.

Typically, buyers have a duty to conduct a reasonable inspection of the property before buying it. Therefore, buyers normally can't recover for defects that could have been discovered via reasonable inspection, unless the seller actively conceals them.

Can a Jefferson City, Tennessee Real Estate Attorney help?

If you are buying a home in Jefferson City, Tennessee, 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 seasoned real estate attorney can make it much easier to focus on the aspects of home ownership that matter to you.