Home Sale Law in Texas

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

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 Decatur, Texas, most real estate brokers are paid a commission, represented by a portion of the sale price of the home. Some might charge a flat fee, however.

Getting a Mortgage in Decatur, Texas

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 significantt 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. 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 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.

Therefore, buyers must inspect the property before they buy it. If they don't, they can't sue for any defects they later become aware of, if an inspection would have revealed those defects.

Can a Decatur, Texas Real Estate Attorney help?

Buying a house can be an exciting, but difficult, experience. Most home buyers want to focus on the positive aspects that come with home-ownership, and ignore the tedious paperwork and legal issues. A good Decatur, Texas real estate attorney can enable this.