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

A proposal to buy property at a specified price. The seller of the property has the options of accepting the offer, rejecting it, or making a counteroffer. For example, John signs a listing ...

Credential awarded by the International Association of Assessing Officers to appraisers of real property working for a government body. ...

Increasing tax rates with increasing levels of taxable income. ...

Linkage of property ownership that connects the present owner to the original source of title. ...

Business that transforms an underdeveloped tract of land into plots ready for construction. ...

Document issued by a public or private institution to perform some activity according to legal requirements. There is usually a license fee. An example is a real estate license. ...

Statement filed with a governmental authority declaring property a homestead for the purposes of securing a homestead exemption. The declaration of homestead has no effect on the property ...

Amount still unpaid at a particular date on a loan or other financing agreement. ...

Not attached to any parcel of land but merely a personal right to use the land of another. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions