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Resource Description:

Questions answered by the resource:

Consulting a Lawyer
http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/pamphlets/l
Source: Washington State Bar Association

Practical tips for consumers interested in hiring a lawyer. Includes information on representing yourself in court; selecting a lawyer; client expectations; lawyer expectations; and changing lawyers.
full description

• In what circumstances do I need a lawyer?
• How do I locate a good lawyer?
• What should I expect of my lawyer?
• What should my lawyer expect of me?
• Can I change lawyers?

Buying or Selling a Home
http://real-estate-law.freeadvice.com/buy_sell_a_h
Source: Free Advice

Provides advice regarding buying or selling a home in a question/answer format.
full description

• What is the first thing I need to do if I am buying or selling a house?
• What is a "listing agreement"?
• What are some things a seller should look out for when dealing with the sale of a house?
• What are some things a buyer should look out for when dealing with the purchase of a house?
• If a buyer makes an offer on a house, is s/he bound to it? If a seller accepts an offer, can s/he change his/her mind?
• What happens after a buyer and seller agree on a price?
• What is a "contract"?
• What are some of the things the buyer should be sure to put in the contract?
• What are some of the things the seller should be sure to put in the contract?
• If the inspection is not satisfactory, can the buyer back out of the deal?
• With all these signed agreements, is it important to have a lawyer?
• What happens at the "closing"?
• What are "title insurance" and "mortgage insurance", and are they necessary?
• What if there are problems found with the house after the closing?
• What legal recourse do I have if repairs to a furnace which were suppose to have been made by the seller prior to us taking occupancy were in fact not made?
• Can a listing agent continue to show a home to prospective buyers even after the home was under contract with mortgage approval and closing had been set?
• I own a home with my sister who is living in it rent-free. She is not interested in purchasing my half. I"m not getting any use or value from the property. What are my options?
• I purchased a new condo at the beginning of february to be closed at the beginning of may. It is now july, the condo is not complete, interest rates have risen dramatically, and my costs for moving around are mounting. Do I have any leg to stand on against the builder?
• After looking for months, we finally found a home we could afford. Unfortunately, the home inspection revealed a number of defects that weren"t apparent at the time we agreed to buy the property. While we have the right to walk away without penalty, we prefer to work out a solution. What are some of the options?
• In the disclosure statement on a home sale, I wrote that the old roof "leaked (replaced) age 1 year old". The buyer is suing me in court for a leaking roof saying that I had misrepresented the state of the roof. Does he have a leg to stand on?
• We recently purchased a home contingent on a home inspection. The home inspection revealed structural water damage to the floor joists, basement dampness, and small leaks in the roof. We want to terminate the agreement, but the seller is willing to make the repairs. Furthermore, the seller never disclosed the existence of these problems. How can we break this deal?
• We built a new home and closed in march of this year. How long is the builder"s warranty on a home and how long is he reponsible for doing repairs?
• Is it a good idea to close escrow while there is a tenant in the property that is currently being evicted?
• I unknowingly purchased property contaminated with hazardous waste. Now the epa wants me to pay for the cleanup. What should I do?
• How do I find out about any existing hazardous materials on property I am thinking of buying?
• Within a short time after buying our home, the heating system failed. It will cost several thousand dollars to replace. The seller wrote "don"t know" on the disclosure form, and the home inspector said the system was working fine. Do we have any recourse?
• Our neighbor who has easement rights to his property located behind our home will be shortly selling his property. Do we have any say as to who gets the easement?
• I live in a state that permits real estate agents to prepare purchase contracts for their clients. Under what circumstances should I consider having an attorney eyeball the purchase transaction?