Answers
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“Bostonian is misinformed. In the United States, a contract with a minor is a contract with a minor. It’s not that much different than statutory rape, if you’re an adult and the person is under 118 it’s just not legal. Period end of story. It sucks. it hurts. But the fact of the matter is, you’re gonna have to wait until you’re 18 to buy a house – and here’s why.
As a minor, there’s NO court in the nation which will honor a contract in dispute with a minor. Put specifically, if you purchase a property but fail to follow through on that contract, those you’re doing business with are NOT protected from litigation and legal claims.
Now there’s ways around this, which absolutely require parent or guardian support. There’s something called a conservatorship which is usually set up between two adults but in your case – as a minor it lets you – the minor – act through your parents who make the contract legally binding and defensible in a court of law. The purpose of the conservatorship is perfect for this situation, which allows someone selling a house to enter into a legally binding agreement that ultimately, you’re responsible for when you turn 18.
So, the answer is NO you cannot get a house with cash, not legally, but there’s legal ways around this. And while sure – you can and will quite likely find those who may let you obtain a house with cash – you need to be aware this isn’t legal and binding. So not only can you get screwed over and lose out on your investment should someone manipulate the situation to their advantage, but so can the person you’re doing business with. AND IF they are willing to enter into this agreement with you KNOWING this, there may be a chance they’ll manipulate the situation to take advantage of you.
Here’s another way to think about it:
You go to Las Vegas with your parents. You walk through the casino and drop $1 in a dollar machine and kapow – it hits the big one – a million bucks. Security reviews the footage and speaks. That aint yours. You’re under 18. And they keep the winnings. Same deal with the house…”
DFirst Timelord ·
“Contrary to widely held misconception, although a minor cannot normally sign a binding contract, certain contracts ARE binding. Those include contracts for essential goods and services such as shelter, food, clothing, education, etc. Since a house qualifies as shelter, the normal restriction on signing a binding contract does NOT apply in this case.
So, the short answer is YES, you can buy a house for cash. You cannot get a mortgage since a loan is not an essential service under the law, but if you have the cash there’s nothing stopping you..”
Bostonian
“You are not able to purchase a house, even if you are able to pay all cash for the house. In selling of the house, you would be required to sign the sale contract. No one sell a house without a sale contract indicating the sale price, and other conditions of the sale.
Since you are a minor, any contract you sign would not be enforceable in any court. No seller of a house would sign a contract with you since you are a minor even if you were in a position to pay all cash.
The transaction could not close as you would be required to sign the deed of trust. This would not happen as no escrow or title company would allow this at your age. the title company would not insure a title to the property.
You would not be able to sign any contract to get insurance on the house.
You would be required to sign a deed, since you are a minor, you would not be able to sign the deed accepting the house.
There are legal provisions where you might place the house in some form of a trust until you are no longer a minor. You would need to have an adult to legally manage the house on your behalf. This adult would sign all legal documents and insure all legal financial obligations are met.
I hope this has been of some benefit to you, good luck…”
Anonymous
“No. You are a minor child. You must be of legal age to sign a contract – either 18, 19 or 21, depending on the state in which you live.
There is no law that prevents it. However, since 16-year Olds cannot legally be held to the contracts they sign, you’d need to grant legal authority to an adult or other entity to act on your behalf.”
Ababtboomer
“Your best answer would be obtained from calling a local real estate broker and asking him or her. Get a reputable one, like from a reputable company line Prudential or Coldwell banker or Century 21. They all handle residential properties. They would know the specific laws in your state. You might need to set up a trust…”
Anonymous