What is one potential outcome if a seller retains mineral rights after selling their property?

Retaining mineral rights after selling a property allows the seller the opportunity to separate those rights from the ownership of the surface land. This means that the seller has the potential to sell the mineral rights to another party, allowing them to benefit financially from any minerals discovered and extracted from the land in the future.

This situation is relatively common in real estate transactions, especially in areas where valuable minerals or resources may be present. By retaining these rights, the seller essentially holds a separate asset that can be exploited or sold independently of the real property itself, which can be a strategic financial move.

The other options relate to different aspects of property transactions. The notion that the property value will decrease significantly is not inherently true; it largely depends on market conditions and specific property factors. Buyers do not automatically inherit mineral rights if the seller has retained them, as these rights are explicitly delineated in the sale agreement. Lastly, while mutual consent can be a factor in many real estate transactions, the retention of mineral rights does not necessarily halt the sale process; it simply means that those specific rights are not transferred to the buyer.