Bilateral Contract
A bilateral contract is a pretty straightforward term. No horseplay there. It’s a legal agreement between two individuals who both agree to do (or not to do) a specific act.
The truth is that, when you think of the standard contract, you think of a bilateral contract. It’s one of those instances where one part of the term is so usual, it gets dropped out of the term, so people omit the “bilateral” and just say contract. In it, each party has its set of obligations; even if it’s party A does a service, party B pays for it. Or, more simple than that: if party A is responsible for giving money and party B for transferring the title to party A.
However, there are rare unilateral contracts where one party is under the obligation of giving a compensation should the other party perform a specific task, but the other party is not obligated to perform that task. In other words, when one party failing to perform a task is not considered a breach of contract, it’s not a bilateral contract but a unilateral.
An example of a bilateral contract in real estate is a regular property sale. The home seller is obligated to give the house and put it under the buyer’s name if the home buyer pays for the amount specified on the bilateral contract. Now, in an exclusive agency listing, what the real estate agent does with a home seller is not a bilateral contract but an unilateral contract because it specifies that the homeowner must pay a commission to that agent if the real estate agent brings the best deal for him; however, he is not in breach of contract if he doesn’t bring the winning bid. Got it?
Sign a bilateral contract with “smart”: don’t go the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) route; find a real estate agent to go with you on this journey!
Popular Real Estate Terms
Adding a period of time onto another. An examples a mortgagor who successfully restructures his loan by tacking another five years onto the term. ...
Market Analysis in the Real Estate Market is basically research done concerning specific properties in relation to the overall current climate of the real estate industry. A good ...
Freestanding residential housing constructed on its own building lot. Detached housing is the typical type of housing found in suburban developments. ...
As a hopeful house hunter, renter, or seasoned real estate investor, you've probably come across baffling terms. One such term is "adhesion contract." It might sound complex, but don't ...
Provisions of credit that apply when a loan is paid. ...
Also called a like-kind exchange. An exchange in which tax benefits are available to real estate owners planning to sell their investment, rental, business or vacation real estate, and ...
Charges resulting in involuntary encumbrances against real property derived from legislated law rather than from debts owed to organizations o r individuals. For example, of a homeowner ...
Federal agency within the Department of Housing and Urban Development that provides financing to home buyers, particularly those with little cash or with a need to lower monthly payments. ...
The term amenity value refers to the worth or pleasant feeling added by using or seeing something. The amenity value definition would be the value that an individual amenity adds to the ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.