DID THE HOMEOWNER DO SOMETHING WRONG?

Homeowners ask me all the time if THEY did something wrong when they bought a house that now has problems in it.I just spoke to a client today who was gnashing his teeth and lamenting how he should have done it differently.I told him and I tell all homeowners not to burn their energy on that subject.But still, homeowners want to know if they made a mistake in the process.

The short answer is that the homeowner did NOT do something wrong if they were a victim of real estate fraud.Real estate fraud is knowingly misrepresenting facts about a case in order to induce someone into buying a home.In other words, if a home seller commits real estate fraud, you would have to be pretty savvy to detect it beforehand.If someone commits negligence or even a violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the homeowner/homebuyer's behavior can be judged in the equation of who did what.In fraud, the homebuyer/homeowner's behavior is NEVERconsidered.

Homeowners really don't have to spend their time and energy asking "What if?".Look back on the transaction for clues and evidence that the seller knew they were misrepresenting the conditions of the house and keep track of those.But stop beating yourself up because you didn't see it coming.You didn't see it coming because it is human nature to trust people.Next time, you will be far less trusting and you will ask for verification everywhere you turn.