Q: Husband died and I own house. Want to sell it and have gotten an offer to purchase it without real estate agent. How?
I don't have a clue about selling a house. I need to sell it because I cannot afford the mortgage. What paperwork do I need to use? Do I need a lawyer? I cannot afford giving away 3-6% to a couple of agents when buyer and I have agreed on a purchase price which allows me to pay off mortgage and credit for the new windows in that house but nothing else. I do not have extra money to pay all these closing costs. What can I do?
A:
Contact some real estate lawyers in your area. Many offer free initial consultations and they may not be as expensive as you think. If you can't afford them, you don't have to hire them. You may also talk to a title company about your situation and see what they say. Title companies routinely help with closing real estate transactions and are inexpensive, especially in residential transactions, but they won't give you legal advice. One thing they can do is see to it that the sale proceeds go directly to pay off the mortgage and to prepare a deed reflecting the transaction. They can explain how the process works and what exactly they can do for you. You don't have to use a title company either. But without either an attorney or a title company involved, the chances of making a major mistake are high. Good luck.
PS: My comments here are for general information purposes only and are not legal advice about your particular situation nor the applicability of any particular law. They are not an invitation to join in, nor intended to create, nor do they create, an attorney-client relationship.
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