Utah Real Estate Purchase Agreement & Sale Agreement Explained (+Free Template)

Utah law covers many bases in the real estate world. If you are a property owner, for example, it helps to understand how to protect your ownership from being challenged by squatters. This will require you to understand how squatter's rights, adverse possession, etc. work.

Similarly, if you are interested in a real estate purchase or sale in the state, you'll want to understand the nuances of a Utah residential purchase agreement. It may also help to know how organizations such as the Utah Real Estate Commission fit into things.

The information below is meant to give you all the details you need to establish a solid legally binding contract.

Residential Utah Purchase Agreement

The Utah real estate purchase agreement is a document that is meant to get the negotiation process going. This will begin with a prospective buyer's indication of an interest in the property. This offer will have a desired price, alongside conditions that the purchaser may have.

Once this part of the potential buying process is complete, the seller will then have an amount of stipulated time to respond. If this is not done, the offer will expire. Of course, should the seller respond in time, the offer doesn't need to be accepted. The seller can attempt to negotiate the terms of the sale agreement.

When both sides agree on the terms, the document will be signed, which will then make the Utah residential purchase official and the transfer of the property will take place.

Required Disclosures

A standard real estate purchase contract will include expected elements such as a closing date, information about the condition of the property, etc. However, this is not enough for most states. Alongside this, there will also often need to be disclosures made.

In Utah, there s the "Buyer Beware/Caveat Emptor." This disclosure covers the line of verification responsibility. A seller is not required to make any guarantees, with the only exceptions being contamination from manufacturing, storage, or methamphetamine use.

Should a licensed real estate agent sell the property, this person would need to provide details on whatever defects are known to exist. This should be done with a Seller's Property Condition Disclosure Form.

Conditional Disclosures

What you'll often find is that while some states do not require certain disclosures by default, if certain situations exist, then a disclosure specific to them will need to be made.

In Utah, there is the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure, which will apply to any building that was constructed before 1978. In such a case, a seller is required to provide information on the dangers that lead-based paint is known to be associated with.

"Buyer Beware" State

As you likely gathered from the information above, Utah identifies as what is known as a "buyer beware state." States that do not share this label will place the onus on the seller to ensure that material defects are disclosed to the buyer.

in Utah's case and that of similar states, the responsibility falls on the buyer once none of the exceptions alluded to apply. Therefore, the buyer is expected to exercise the due diligence necessary to ensure that the condition of the property is acceptable.

Final Remarks

There are quite a few things to consider where a Utah real estate purchase contract is concerned. For example, there's ensuring that the agreement covers the required bases such as the purchase price, seller financing if applicable, the closing date, etc.

If an agent is involved, the verification of real estate licensees and experience is always recommended.

In any case, you will need the appropriate forms for the process, and that is where Doorloop has you covered. Everything you need for real estate in Utah can be found here!