I am trying to sell my house to avoid foreclosure and I have a friend that is willing to buy the house. I need to know what paperwork I need and what steps we have to do to get me out of this and her into the house.

Asked by Amanda in Columbia, South Carolina
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That's a great friend you have, and in this "win-win" situation you avoid foreclosure and your friend gets a new home!

Whenever a person sells a house, there are several types of paperwork that need to be completed and signed by both parties. Each state has its own set of required paperwork, but generally what you need are:

* Contract to Buy/Sell Real Estate
* Disclosure, waiver or warranty statements as required by the laws in your state
* Inspection notices as required by the laws in your state
* Condition reports as required by the laws in your state

We provide access to all of these forms and you can download them by visiting this page on our website. You'll want to get the state-specific "For Sale By Owner Forms Package." You'll also probably want to locate a real estate attorney within your area that can provide further assistance. A quality attorney will handle all of the paperwork for you for just a few hundred dollars. It's money well spent to ensure that you've completed all of the forms as required by South Carolina and, if applicable, the city of Columbia.

Hope this helps!
Eric