Personal Matter - Selling My Mom's House in Western New York

[John Franczyk]

My 88-year old mom just moved out of her house and into a retirement facility. My brother, sister, and I are discussing whether to list the house or to sell it to a neighbor who seems interested, albeit at a lower price than what we would list it at.

None of us live in New York State any more. I am familiar with my own environment (Wisconsin) but would like some information on how things are typically managed in New York.

My questions:

1. What is the standard realtor commission in western New York State (Buffalo suburbs)?

2. Should we get a lawyer to help with the sale, or will a title company do most of the heavy lifting for us?

3. Any unusual closing costs that we should anticipate?

Thanks for any info.