A: You can, but it will likely hamstring your ability to get full value for your home, says Seattle attorney Brian Ritchie. "Any restrictions on what a buyer can do lessens its value. It's like if I sell you my car and say you can't drive it at night."

Otherwise, "basically whatever two parties want to contract to they can," Ritchie says. So you can craft such an agreement and make it binding not only on your buyer, but on any others within the stated time frame. It's all in how you write the document then record it with the county.

Ritchie says such agreements "are valid and enforceable if the court deems them to be reasonable." What's reasonable? Writing in a time limit is one example. Another is a contingency clause allowing the house to be demolished under certain circumstances (following an earthquake or fire, for instance).

You'll also have to include financial "consideration," Ritchie says. Example: You and the buyer agree the home's value without the teardown restriction is $500,000. You then credit the buyer $50,000 for agreeing to the restriction, which means you sell for $450,000. That $50,000 is "consideration."

An attorney can draft such an agreement should you decide to proceed.