Real Estate Law in Washington
The real estate industry in Bellingham is controlled by a wide variety of laws, and these laws can affect the process and outcome of practically any transaction or deal involving the sale, lease, or use of land.
Real estate law in Bellingham can be fairly intricate, especially when it comes to things like mortgages and the resolution of disputes over construction defects.
Therefore, it's a good idea to learn some of the basics of Bellingham's real estate laws.
Some understanding of the proper law can give you an advantage in almost any situation. In the real estate instance, it can help you spot illegal terms in lease agreements, give you some idea of what your rights are in a dispute, among other things. If nothing else, knowledge of the law can help you spot people who are willing to break it, so you can avoid dealing with them.
Common Real Estate Law Issues in Bellingham
Financing: Most individuals are unable to make major real estate purchases in Bellingham with cash, because few people have that kind of money on hand. Thus, to buy real estate, most entities use a mortgage. This is a loan used to buy a piece of property. When the loan is issued, and the property purchased, the lender holds a security interest in the property until the loan is paid off, with interest.
Zoning: Zoning laws govern what types of structures can be built on given parcels of land. Usually, cities and towns are zoned in order to ensure that neighborhoods are clearly divided into residential, commercial, and industrial categories, to ensure that everyone who uses the land can make the best possible use of it, for their particular purpose
Duty of Disclosure: Sellers of homes are bound by a legal duty to disclose defects in the home to prospective buyers, before they purchase the house. Any defect which the seller knows (or reasonably should know) about, and which cannot be discovered by the buyer through an usual inspection, must be disclosed to the buyer.
Implied Warranties: In Bellingham, every residential rental agreement carries with it a warranty of habitability, in which the landlord implicitly promises that the unit is fit for human habitation. This applies whether or not such a warranty is mentioned in the lease agreement, and it still applies even if the landlord tries to disclaim any such warranty. There are many circumstances that might make an unit uninhabitable. A few examples are a lack of electricity, no running water, or no heating.
Can a Bellingham Real Estate Lawyer Help?
Because the issues discussed above can get intricate for laypersons, if you have a real estate issue, such as an eviction, or a construction dispute, you should not hesitate to contact a Bellingham real estate attorney ASAP.