Massachusetts Real Estate Law, Legal Tips For Homebuyers

The purchase of a house is, for most people, their single greatest financial investment. A mistake in the home-buying process can undo a lifetime of effort. The complexities and technicalities involved in buying real estate require knowledge and experience.

The cost of retaining an attorney to represent you at the time you buy real estate is usually a fraction of the cost of hiring a lawyer to fix problems or settle disputes after the sale. If you use an exclusive buyer agent from Buyers Brokers Only, LLC, you will not have to pay for your personal real estate lawyer. The following are some tips involving real estate transactions in Massachusetts. You should consult a licensed attorney regarding your specific situation.

• Despite what a well-intentioned (or not so well-intentioned) real estate professional might tell you, an offer to purchase real estate may be a binding contract. Please be sure to understand the consequences of what you're signing. The insertion of contingency language is absolutely necessary. The sooner you obtain competent legal advice, the less likely costly mistakes will occur.

• No matter what you think or what anyone tells you, a professional home inspection is critical. The idea that anyone would invest hundreds of thousands of dollars without spending $350-$500 on a professional home inspection is ridiculous.

• There is nothing "standard" about a purchase and sale agreement. An attorney can implement certain contingencies and legal language into a purchase and sale agreement that will protect you, the home buyer. All the details surrounding the sale of the real estate should be included in the purchase and sale agreement. Verbal agreements, no matter how seemingly trivial, between you and any party always should be avoided. An experienced real estate lawyer can draft and negotiate a purchase and sale agreement on your behalf.

• Purchasing new construction homes and condominiums present unique issues for home buyers. You need to understand what is in the condominium documents and the new home warranty.

• Before a new home construction closing takes place, the entire home should be complete and correctly constructed, down to every last detail. If at the time of closing there are oustanding issues to be addressed, a written agreement, which holds back money from the sale price until the issues are resolved, should be executed by the parties. Many times issues involving landscaping arise during the winter months.

• The bank's or lending institution's lawyer represents the lender. He or she does not represent the home buyer. His or her obligation is to the lender, not the home buyer. If you want a real estate lawyer to represent your interests, you will need your own lawyer.

• Your signed purchase and sale agreement should contain detailed language about who shall hold deposits prior to closing and how deposits shall be held.

• Some older homes may contain dangerous lead paint. You may want to have a separate lead paint inspection.

The information on this Web site is not legal advice, but for informational purposes only. Please read the full disclaimer.

Please also carefully review our frequently asked questions section or contact us anytime to set up a free, no-obligation consultation, so you can meet us and learn more about how we assist home buyers purchasing real estate. Call (978.835.5906) anytime to schedule an in-person meeting or read about our brokers online.

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Our coverage area includes: Essex County, Middlesex County, Norfolk County, Plymouth County, Suffolk County, Worcester County, Barnstable County and Bristol County in Massachusetts. Rockingham County, and Hillsborough County in New Hampshire. The following are just some of the Massachusetts cities and towns we provide real estate buyer agent services: Acton, Abington, Amesbury, Andover, Ashland, Ayer, Avon, Belmont, Berlin, Beverly, Billerica, Bolton, Bolyston, Boston (including, East Boston, Charlestown, North End, South Boston, Dorchester, West Roxbury, Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Chinatown, South End, West End, Back Bay, Allston, Brighton and Beacon Hill), Boxborough, Boxford, Bradford, Braintree, Brockton, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Canton, Carlisle, Carver, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Cohasset, Concord, Danvers, Dedham, Dover, Dracut, Dunstable, Duxbury, Essex, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Foxborough, Framingham, Georgetown, Gloucester, Grafton, Groton, Groveland, Hamilton, Hanson, Harvard, Haverhill, Hingham, Holbrook, Holliston, Hopedale, Hudson, Hull, Ipswich, Lawrence, Leominister, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Lowell, Lunenburg, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Marblehead, Marlborough, Marshfield, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Millis, Milton, Nahant, Natick, Needham, New Bedford, Newbury, Newburyport, Newton, North Andover, Northborough, North Reading, Northborough, Norfolk, Norwood, Norwell, Peabody, Pembroke, Pepperell, Plymouth, Quincy, Reading, Revere, Rockland, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Scituate, Sharon, Shirley, Shrewsbury, Somerville, Southborough, Stoneham, Stoughton, Stow, Swampscott, Tewksbury, Topsfield, Townsend, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley, Wenham, Westborough, West Boylston, Westford, West Newbury, Weston, Westwood, Westport, Weymouth, Whitman, Wilmington, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn and Worcester, Wrentham. The following are just some of the New Hampshire cities and towns we provide real estate buyer agent services: Atkinson, Brentwood, Derry, Dover, Durham, East Kingston, Epping, Exeter, Greenland, Hampstead, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Hollis, Hudson, Kingston, Londonderry, Manchester, Nashua, New Castle, Newmarket, Newton, North Hampton, Pelham, Plaistow, Portsmouth, Raymond, Rye, Salem, Seabrook, Stratham and Windham.