Buying real estate in Hungary involves a number of legal steps that, if overlooked, can expose a buyer to serious financial and legal risk. Below we outline the key checks our firm carries out on behalf of every buyer we represent. Always sign on the basis of a same-day title extract The purchase agreement should…
Before signing a real estate purchase agreement in Hungary, the buyer typically pays a sum of money to the seller — but the legal label attached to that payment matters enormously. Under Hungarian law, three distinct instruments are commonly used: the foglaló (earnest money deposit), the előleg (advance payment), and the kötbér (contractual penalty). Confusing…
The right of usufruct (haszonélvezeti jog) is one of the most sensitive areas of real estate law, which I encounter most frequently in my practice in connection with property transfers and family inheritance matters. The ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ / CJEU) in May 2026 shook the foundations of…
Many people assume that once the purchase agreement is signed before an attorney, the home-buying process is complete. In my experience, this is the most common misconception: the transfer of ownership in rem takes place exclusively through successful registration at the land registry. Until your ownership is registered in the property register, you are not…
