“You want me to sign a contract to buy a house before my lawyer has a chance to read it!? That’s crazy!”
But that’s how we roll here in New Jersey. In 1995, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided In Re Opinion 26 , settling a long dispute between the New Jersey Bar Association and the New Jersey Association of Realtors. You see, some Realtors regularly drafted contracts for real estate transactions, as is common practice in many states. The Bar contended …
“But I want this house and I didn’t want to cancel! Why did my attorney issue a notice of disapproval?!”
Stay calm. Part of your attorney’s job is to insure that a real estate contract provides you with the most protection possible. The printed forms used by Realtors tend to be somewhat generic, and for this reason, attorneys take this opportunity to suggest changes that would give you more protection than the printed forms provide. In order to make these …
“My roof is at the end of its useful life!? What the heck does that mean!?”
Not much, but let’s see how we got here. Following the end of attorney review, a buyer will schedule a physical inspection of the house. A professional home inspector, paid by the buyer, will check everything from the base of the foundation to the tip of the chimney, additionally looking for wood-destroying insects, mold, asbestos and the presence of radon …