Photo: Marlene Céline Nordvik / UnsplashBuying a home
- Housing and landlords
First-Time Home Buyer Legal Checklist: Contracts, Inspections, Title and Closing
A legal checklist for first-time home buyers covering preapproval, offers, contingencies, inspections, title, insurance, closing documents and common pitfalls.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Real Estate Purchase Agreements: Key Terms Buyers and Sellers Should Check
What a home purchase agreement contains, contingencies, earnest money, closing dates and what happens if a deal falls through.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Home Purchase Contracts: Contingencies That Protect Buyers
Common contingencies in a home purchase contract, such as inspection, financing and appraisal, and how earnest money works.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Home Inspections and Seller Disclosures: What Buyers Should Know
How home inspections work, what sellers must disclose, what "as is" means and remedies for hidden defects.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Should You Hire a Real Estate Attorney? Costs, When It Is Required and When It Helps
When a real estate lawyer is required or recommended, what they do, typical cost structures, what to ask, and alternatives such as title companies and agents.
3 min read
Closing and title
- Housing and landlords
What Happens at a Real Estate Closing: Documents, Costs and What to Review
A walkthrough of the closing process, documents you sign, costs and prorations, escrow, funding, recording, final walkthrough and how to avoid mistakes and fraud.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Closing Costs and Escrow: What Buyers and Sellers Pay
Common closing costs, how escrow works, the closing disclosure and tips for avoiding surprises on closing day.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Title Insurance Explained: Why Buyers and Lenders Need It
What title insurance covers, how it differs from other insurance, owner's vs. lender's policies and what a title search finds.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Title Problems and Quiet Title Actions: Fixing Ownership Disputes and Clouds on Title
What title defects are, common problems such as liens, errors and heirs claims, how title insurance helps, how to fix title issues and what a quiet title lawsuit does.
3 min read - Legal documents
Types of Deeds: Warranty, Grant and Quitclaim Deeds Compared
The main types of real estate deeds, the promises each makes and when each is used.
4 min read - Legal documents
Quitclaim Deed Guide: Transferring Property Without Warranties
How a quitclaim deed works, when families use one and the risks and limits that surprise people.
4 min read
Selling and special transactions
- Housing and landlords
Selling a Home: Legal Disclosures, Contracts and Liability After the Sale
What sellers must disclose, how purchase contracts work, inspections and repairs, as-is sales, fraud and misrepresentation claims and how to protect yourself.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Contract for Deed: How Owner Financing Works and Where the Risks Are
How a contract for deed or land contract works, the buyer risks, how it differs from a mortgage and when to get a lawyer.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Rent-to-Own Homes: How the Contracts Work and What Can Go Wrong
How lease-option and lease-purchase agreements work, option fees, who pays repairs, and risks for buyers who miss payments.
3 min read - Housing and landlords
Lead Paint Disclosure Rules for Renters and Buyers
Federal requirements for disclosing lead paint in older homes, what landlords and sellers must provide and what to do if you find lead.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Satisfaction of Mortgage: Proving Your Home Loan Is Paid Off
What a satisfaction of mortgage or release is, how long lenders have to file it and how to check county records after you pay off a loan.
3 min read
Owning and disputes
- Housing and landlords
HOA Rules and Fines: What Homeowners Associations Can Do
The authority of homeowners associations, how they enforce rules, fines and liens and how to challenge a violation notice.
4 min read - Housing and landlords
Easements Explained: Rights to Use Someone Else's Land
What easements are, common types like utility and access easements, how they are created and how they affect property owners.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Property Line and Fence Disputes With Neighbors
How to find your boundary, who pays for a fence and what to do when a neighbor builds or plants across the line.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Neighbor Noise and Nuisance Complaints: What You Can Do
How noise ordinances and nuisance laws work, steps to resolve disputes and when to involve landlords, HOAs or police.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Property Tax Appeals: How to Challenge Your Assessment
How to review your home's assessed value, deadlines to appeal and what evidence helps lower your property taxes.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Eminent Domain: When the Government Can Take Your Property
How eminent domain works, the public use requirement, just compensation and what owners can do if their property is condemned.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Foreclosure Basics: Process, Timeline and Ways to Avoid It
How foreclosure works, the difference between judicial and non-judicial processes and options like loan modification and housing counseling.
4 min read - Debt and bankruptcy
Foreclosure Rescue Scams: Warning Signs and Safer Options
How foreclosure rescue and deed theft scams work, red flags to watch for and where to find legitimate housing counseling.
2 min read
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a real estate attorney to buy a home?
It depends on your state and the transaction. Many states customarily use attorneys, and they are wise for complex deals.
What are contingencies in a home purchase?
Conditions, such as inspection and financing, that let you cancel or renegotiate if they are not met in time.
What does title insurance do?
It protects against certain covered title defects discovered after closing.
What must sellers disclose?
Known material defects and legally required items such as lead paint information for older homes, with rules varying by state.
How do I avoid wire fraud at closing?
Verify wiring instructions by calling a known phone number and be suspicious of last-minute changes.