Buying a Home? 4 Common Legal Mistakes to Avoid

Purchasing a home can be both an exciting and stressful experience. Whether it is your first time as a home buyer or you have successfully completed the process before, it is essential to make sure you avoid common legal mistakes. In all of the excitement, you may be anxious to close the deal so you can move into your new home. Try not to rush the process, though. The more time and effort you put into finding the ideal house, finalizing the contract, and preparing for the closing day, the more likely you are to be satisfied with your purchase down the road.

If you avoid these four mistakes, your closing day will go much more smoothly.

Secure a home inspection

Even if you feel like the house you have selected is perfect for you, a home inspection is always a good idea. This can save you money in the long run if any issues are uncovered during the inspection. Doing this before the purchase of the house could spare you responsibility since the homeowner may either agree or be required to address the issues prior to sale.

From a legal standpoint, having a home inspection is strongly encouraged because it can uncover problems with the home that the sellers may not have disclosed. You should not rely on the word of the sellers alone—even if they are not deliberately hiding anything, sellers may not realize when there are serious problems with their home’s structural integrity or other major issues.

Carefully read the entire contract

After you have found your ideal home, a wide variety of papers and forms will require your attention and signature. Although you may be tempted to glance at these or trust only the word of someone else, you should make it a priority to read each document carefully before signing.

When reading these documents, note any questions you have or clarifications you need. You can clarify these issues by talking to an attorney about your concerns and asking that he or she read through these documents. This paperwork is far too important to just take a quick look through these documents without understanding them fully.

Hire a lawyer

While it is vital for you to read all contracts and forms yourself, you should still rely on the help of a professional during this process. Try to hire a lawyer who has specific experience in real estate transactions, like Gery Rodriguez-Albizu. That way you can ensure that your lawyer will be able to answer your questions and help finalize all contracts.

Stay on top of the seller’s responsibilities

Although you are likely working hard to make sure you complete all of your own responsibilities in the home buying process, it is essential to make sure the seller is staying on track, too. Come time for closing day, if the seller has skipped a step or if something is not prepared correctly, it can delay the process. Coordinate with your real estate attorney to handle this, as well.

If you want help working through the homebuyer process, look no further than R|A Law. Contact us today to set up an appointment.

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