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

Method used by appraisers and investors to evaluate a level of payment income stream for a fixed period of years predicated on a specific interest rate. ...

Individual who will receive an inheritance upon the death of another. The proceeds of an insurance policy may be in a lump sum annuity. Real estate also passes to the beneficiary. ...

Dehydrated gypsum that is mixed with water to form a rapidly setting material. Plaster of paris sets too rapidly to be practical for most building applications, but it is useful for ...

Claim of a person or business to real property such as by exercising an option. ...

The definition of puffing in real estate, also known as puffering, is an exaggeration of fact bordering on falsehood. You’ve probably heard a real estate agent make outrageous claims ...

The definition of net sales price in real estate is the combined total cost to the buyer of a listing, excluding any auxiliary costs such as the sales fee, appraisal fee, real estate agent ...

Danger, hazard, risk, or peril. For example, jeopardizing a piece of property by pledging it as collateral for a loan. ...

Legal practice followed in the American and English judicial systems of following the precedents of former decisions in deciding new cases. The application of this doctrine has not only ...

Real estate not subject to property tax such as that owned by nonprofit entities including charitable, governmental, religious institutions. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions