Contingencies and Housing Purchase Contracts
Posted on Mar 21, 2013 3:08pm PDT
If you are currently looking into buying a home, chances are that you will need to eventually sign the home purchase contract. Signing this document will mean that you agree with all the terms of the purchase. This signature can be powerful, so it is very important that you cautiously read through the entire contract before agreeing to anything. You may also want to add contingencies to your house purchase contract in order to make the terms more agreeable and ensure that some of the decisions are still in you court.
The contingencies that you can add to a housing purchase contract are the conditions that need to be met before the closing of the purchase will take place. These can be things like finance issues, insurance purchases, inspections that you would like done and more. The reason that you want contingencies is because it helps you to have a way out should the real estate purchase fall through or should necessary actions not be taken. When buying a home, you have to calculate each decision very carefully. This is because once you have purchased a home and signed the contract, chances are that you will be the official owners. Contrary to popular belief, there is no way to "return" the house that you purchase if you find that things are satisfactory after the deal is struck. .
Most of your contingencies can be added to offer and counter-offer documents. As you work with your realtor to build a housing purchase contract, you will want to carefully work through the different terms that were placed on you within the contract and make sure that your realtor upholds his or her end of the bargain as well. IN some states, the period between the contract signing and the final closing of the deal is called escrow. This is a specific amount of time reserved for the completion of the contingencies.
You may be required to secure a loan during this time, while your realtor may be required to schedule inspections for you. You will want to advise your realtor when you have completed the contingencies set for you, and he or she will need to do likewise. If either you fail to complete your duties, or your realtor does not complete the contingencies agreed upon, then you will be allowed to call of the purchase of the home. You can also renegotiate with your realtor if you are still interested in the property.
There are some basic contingencies that are included in almost all real estate transactions. For example, a buyer's inspection contingency is often common. This condition ensures that your house was carefully checked out by a professional and you can be sure that the home is in good condition. As well, it is common for a financing contingency to be included in the contract. This is a contingency that is placed upon you as the buyer and is a requirement that you will secure a loan with which to buy your home.
As well, many buyers are adding an insurance contingency to their contract. This will make sure that you receive the proper insurance in order to cover any damage to your home that you may discover after purchasing. As well, people who decide to sell their own homes may determine that they won't let the deal go through unless they can purchase a new home. This means that the escrow will go on until they are able to locate a new place to live.
If the buyer is not able to find a new place to live, then he or she may be able to terminate the purchase. As well, you may be able to make a contingency about whether or not you will sell your home. Only some sellers will agree with this. Whatever contingencies you decide upon, make sure to have them written down. If you want more information about contingencies in your housing contract or if you are struggling with the implications of contingencies in your contract contact a local real estate attorney for assistance today.