Homebuyer's Remorse? Law Can Help

It's a bummer to put money down on a home or condo, wait a few years for construction to be complete, then find out it's worth less than it was when you signed the contract. But whom do you call?

These days, a lawyer. They are getting adept at easing buyers, rich and poor, out of contracts on technicalities or simple clerical errors. That's thanks to a law enacted back in 1967. (Also see "Homebuyer's Remorse: How to Avoid and Cure.")

Did your developer fail to give you a legal description of your property? Did someone in the office not register the building properly with Housing and Urban Development? Lawyers have hijacked a federal law which was designed to protect consumers buying land out of state from shady real estate developers.