Selling a House in the District of Columbia

Selling a house is one of the most significant legal transactions you'll ever participate in. It's important to know your legal rights and understand the process.

Working With a Real Estate Agent

In the District of Columbia, real estate agents have what's called a "fiduciary duty" to the home seller, if they represent the seller in a sales transaction, and not the buyer. A real estate agent is required to disclose any real estate brokerage or agency relationship he has with another party in the sales transaction upon having a substantive discussion about the specific property with a prospective buyer or seller. In the District of Columbia, this means that the agents are held by law to owe specific duties to the person who they are representing, in this case, the seller.

In addition to duties or obligations that are stated in a listing agreement or other contract, a fiduciary's duties include:

• Loyalty
• Obedience
• Disclosure
• Confidentiality
• Reasonable care
• Diligence
• Accounting

Under District of Columbia law, you must complete a Seller's Disclosure Statement and give it to the buyer either before or at the time a purchase agreement is signed.

You should disclose the following potential house defects:

• Leaks in the roof
• Wall defects
• Floor defects
• Foundation defects
• Window defects
• Evidence of water in the basement
• Electrical system problems
• Any history of infestation, including termites, carpenter ants and rodents
• Any environmental problems

Purchase Agreements

When you've got a serious buyer, you'll receive a written offer to purchase your home, sometimes called a "purchase agreement," which states the finalized terms and conditions for the sale.

You won't have very long to decide whether or not to take the offer or propose a counteroffer so it's important to be informed ahead of time.

Common counter-proposal items include:

• A higher purchase price
• A higher deposit
• Giving buyer less time to remove contingencies
• Excluding certain items from the sale
• Providing you move in time to vacate the house after the sale is closed
• A clause making it a contingency that your attorney approve the contract
• A "liquidated damages clause" that details how much money the buyer will owe you if the buyer backs out of the deal for reasons other than the contingencies listed in the contract

Legal Title Issues

Your District of Columbia real estate lawyer or title company will investigate the legal title of the property you want to sell, and may find issues you'll need to understand.

In the District of Columbia, for example, an implied easement may be present where a person grants lands to which there is no accessible right-of-way except over her or his land or retains land that is inaccessible except over the land which the person conveys. In such instances a right-of-way is presumed to have been granted or reserved. Such an implied grant or easement in lands or estates exists where there is no other reasonable and practicable way of accessing the property, and it is reasonably necessary for the beneficial use or enjoyment of the part granted or reserved.

Your property may also be subject to a "lien," which is a charge on the property to satisfy a debt or other obligation owed by the current owner of the property. A lien encumbers property as long as it exists and has been recorded in the public records.

In the District of Columbia, liens on a piece of property may include:

• Deeds of trust
• Land sale contracts
• Involuntary liens (includes mechanics' liens, liens for unpaid taxes and liens filed by creditors holding judgments against the owner)

Closing Costs

In the District of Columbia, you can expect to pay for some or all of the following charges - "closing costs"- at the time you sell your home:

• Broker's commission
• Survey
• Title insurance
• Recorded release of mortgage
• Transfer taxes
• Attorney's fee
• Home inspections

Specific Performance

In the District of Columbia, a seller who agrees to sell a particular property must do so unless the buyer fails to meet all the terms of the purchase agreement. This is called "specific performance," which is a legal action to compel performance of a contract. For this contract remedy, a court can order the parties to complete the contract. The buyer must then deliver the purchase price and the seller must then deliver the deed. If you have second thoughts on a particular sale, you'll want to immediately contact an attorney.