Residential Sales Contracts: What a Real Estate Lawyer Will Check Before the Client Signs

by | Dec 20, 2016 | legalutopia

Purchasing a home does require completing a great deal of paperwork. One of the key documents is the sales contract. Before assuming everything is in order and signing the contract, it makes sense to have a real estate lawyer look over each of the provisions found in that document. Here are some of the points that the lawyer will review carefully before the client signs the contract.

The Description of the Property

Ideally, the property description will be so specific that there is no way to confuse it with any other property in the area. The real estate lawyer will first look to ensure that the description includes every element currently required by law. Above and beyond that, the lawyer will want to compare the description with those used is prior deeds. The goal is to determine if the information about the size and location of the lot is consistent with what has been recorded in prior sales. If there is some difference, the lawyer will want to find out why before the client signs anything.

Conditions of the Sale

In some cases, sellers agree to perform certain actions before the sale is considered complete. For example, the seller may agree to install a new heating and cooling system or have something done with the plumbing as part of the deal. Rather than relying on a verbal commitment, the lawyer is likely to recommend that those covenants be include in the terms and conditions related to the sale. Doing so ensures there is no confusion about who has agreed to do what in order to make the deal come to pass.

The Legal Names of Everyone Involved in the Transaction

There are times when someone will attempt to use a nickname rather than a full legal name when buying or selling a house. This leaves some room for doubt about who is doing the buying or selling. In order to ensure there is no confusion on this front, the lawyer will require that only the full and legal names of all parties involves are included in the contract provisions.

Since real estate purchases are often related to matters of structuring an estate, lawyers who offer estate and family law services can often help with this type of transaction. Contact The Law Offices of Elan Wurtzel today and make arrangements for a contract review. Once everything is checked and verified, the transaction can proceed.

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