Last week I prompted ChatGPT (artificial intelligence) to write a purchase agreement for residential real estate in St. Paul. I figured if artificial intelligence can be used for legal work it can be used to write a purchase agreement.
The contracts I use are provided by Minnesota Realtors and are a minimum of 14 pages long. There are a whole lot of details missing in this like who is going to pay the property taxes. Also, it looks like the buyer is responsible for paying the seller’s closing costs.
Usually, the seller pays their own closing costs but the buyer can pay them. The agreement says that the buyer can inform the seller about any “defects” and ask for repairs but it doesn’t say that the seller has to have repairs made or what will happen if they don’t.
Each party would need to fully understand Minnesota law in order to make this work. It is better to have everything in writing, which is why our contracts are longer than one page.
There isn’t any deposit or earnest money in this agreement which is legal but I would like to see some earnest money so that the buyer has something to lose if he/she/they can not perform.
Yet I kind of like the simplicity of a one-page contract. I have seen purchase agreements from the 1960s. They fit on an index card-sized document.
What could possibly go wrong?
PURCHASE AGREEMENT ______________, ST. PAUL, MN
This Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into on [Date], by and between [Seller’s Name] (“Seller”), and [Buyer’s Name] (“Buyer”).
WHEREAS, the Seller is the owner of the real property located at ____________, St. Paul, MN (the “Property”), and desires to sell the Property to the Buyer; and
WHEREAS, the Buyer desires to purchase the Property from the Seller for the sum of $250,000.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
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Purchase Price: The Buyer agrees to pay the Seller the sum of $250,000 for the Property.
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Closing Date: The closing date shall be [Date].
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Title: The Seller shall provide the Buyer with a title that is free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and defects, except as otherwise stated in this Agreement.
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Condition of Property: The Buyer acknowledges that the Property is being sold in its current condition and agrees to accept the Property “as is.”
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Inspections: The Buyer shall have [number] days from the date of this Agreement to conduct any inspections of the Property. If the Buyer discovers any defects or issues with the Property during this inspection period, the Buyer shall notify the Seller in writing of such defects or issues and may request that the Seller repair or remedy such defects or issues.
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Closing Costs: The Buyer shall be responsible for all closing costs associated with the sale of the Property, including but not limited to, title insurance, transfer taxes, and recording fees.
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Possession: The Buyer shall take possession of the Property on the closing date.
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Default: In the event that either party defaults on this Agreement, the non-defaulting party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement and retain all earnest money as liquidated damages.
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Governing Law: This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota.
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Entire Agreement: This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior negotiations, understandings, and agreements between the parties.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date and year first above written.
SELLER:
[Seller’s Signature] [Seller’s Name]
BUYER:
[Buyer’s Signature] [Buyer’s Name]
First a disclaimer. I can not give tax advice and this isn’t tax advice. These are observations.
