The last major change to the Standard Agreement of Sale for Real Estate (ASR) added the requirement that the buyer order a title report within so many days of execution of the agreement. The reaction to this change was all over the place, but most folks were calm. So the question is, nearly a year later…
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ENOLA, PA (Oct., 28, 2019) – REALTORS® from the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS® (GHAR) volunteered with New Hope Ministries, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Project Share, Cocoa Packs, and Downtown Daily Bread throughout the month of October. Pennsylvania REALTORS® across the commonwealth are working in their communities to make a difference through REALTORS® Reach Out, a statewide initiative held annually in October…
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I have been saying it for nearly 40 years and it remains true: most law suits involving the sale of residential real property claim that the seller failed to disclose material defects. The seller is usually not the only defendant. The listing and selling licensees and the home inspector are frequently sued as well. The path to suit follows a familiar pattern…
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CAMP HILL, PA (Oct. 7, 2019) – The Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS® Foundation awarded two grants to charitable organizations supporting the greater Harrisburg community at its Annual Meeting and Trade Fair on October 4th. These funds will help advance their housing and shelter-related missions. Foundation President Isabel Warrell presented the two checks, each for $2,000…
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A broker recently called seeking an answer to what he thought was a dilemma created by an in-house transaction in which he was working with the seller and one of his sales agents with the buyer. Yes, that would be dual agency. Not only would this be dual agency, it would be dual agency without designated agency…
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The disclosure of a home’s material defects didn’t begin with passage of the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (“RESDL”). Pennsylvania common law has long required that sellers disclose latent and material defects. The problem, prior to the use of the mandatory form required the RESDL was that sellers often overlooked problems. In the old days we elicited material defects by asking the seller…
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Real estate licensees can be transient. When a sales associate moves on, the broker will likely take one of three paths: 1) congratulate and thank the associate and release her listings and buyer agency contracts; 2) go berserk and escort the associate to the door; or 3) take a path somewhere in between. In general, I am inclined to believe that moves are to be expected and that sales associates will bring and take business and in the long run it all evens out…
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“It depends” is the right answer to most questions. Here the question is whether it is legal to give thank you gifts to people who refer buyers and sellers to real estate licensees. The reason I can’t give a straight answer to this simple question is because it lacks the details that accompany real life situations…
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ENOLA, PA – Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS® Foundation hosted its Annual Golf Outing on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at Armitage Golf Club in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Proceeds will benefit housing-related charities in the Greater Harrisburg area. "REALTORS® believe it is important and imperative we give back to our community,” said Kathy Ludwig, CEO. "Our golf outing is just one of our events we do to raise money for our community partners…
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The magisterial district courts are the small claims courts of Pennsylvania. The magisterial district justices (“MDJs”) are the small claims judges. It is within their jurisdiction to conduct preliminary hearings in criminal matters where the only issue is whether there is sufficient evidence to send the matter to the common pleas court for trial. Hopefully your interest in this article has nothing to do with the criminal functions of the court!
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