Definition of "Bill of sale"

Stephen Fivecoat real estate agent

Written by

Stephen Fivecoatelite badge icon

Ultima Real Estate

A Bill of Sale is a formal document of the sale of goods or the transfer of title for personal property and chattel from one party to another.

In sum, a bill of sale is a sort of receipt. It can be complex or simple, depending on the asset being sold or transferred and the conditions behind. A soda that you buy at a quick-mart, will warrant you that simple paper receipt detailing the seller’s information and the description of the product and its price. But when it comes to real estate, the bill of sale gets more complex.

Generally registered at the county office to make it official, the bill of sale fully describes the asset sold, localizing its lot lines and features, and basically states that the property has been paid for – showing receipts of payment and that no outstanding lien exists on it. In possession of this written bill of sale – that can be of something like 3 to 10 pages long, the buyer has a receipt for the right to sell the property at a later date.

Unfortunately, however, there are cases when the bill of sale is not enough, as an old undiscovered lien from a homeowner years before you might surface at a later date. That’s why is important, when buying a house, to have title insurance to make the legal proceedings faster and less expensive, and clear yourself of lien problems, redirecting them to the home seller.

Real Estate Agent:

Visit our Real Estate Questions page and figure out if any of your real estate doubts match the frequently asked ones!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Lease payments based on factors other than the passage of time. ...

Part of a capital gain constituting tax benefits previously taken and taxed as ordinary income. ...

Cash earnings generated from a real estate investment or property. Cash earnings equals cash revenue less cash expense. The cash earnings may or may not be discounted to its present value ...

Person chosen by a testator/testatrix to handle and conduct the terms of a will to an estate. Duties include collecting and selling of properties and paying debts of the state. ...

Judicial order requiring the named person or business to act or not act on something. An example is an order to a tenant to make rental payments to a landlord. ...

Falsify financial records and statements to misrepresent the financial position and operating results of the business. ...

A notary public's guaranteeing the authenticity of a signature. ...

Inappropriate and possibly harmful use of land. For example, a factory located on the shore of a river discharges toxic pollutants into the waterway. ...

The integrity, morals, and principles guiding an individual's or profession's actions. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions