Real Estate Lawyers

Are you buying or selling your home? Either way, you need the expertise of a real estate lawyer. Real estate lawyers can review any offer you make or receive, make sure your rights are protected and your duties and responsibilities clearly defined.

If you want to save some bucks and opt for non-legal services who assume they can do the legal work you need, think again. Lawyers have a regulated profession that has standards which they must comply and insurance to pay for the damages just in case there’s an error. There’s no assurance you would have the same standards and benefits when dealing with anyone other than lawyers. Real estate lawyers review and make sure the title is clean, no liens and that the deal closes within the timeline.

Let’s start talking about what these lawyers can do. If you are buying a home, lawyers make sure you understand the contract, including how you will take title on the property. The real estate lawyers check if there are any liens on the property, take care of all documents, verify terms of mortgage with banks, make sure taxes and utilities costs are paid, and attend closing.

If you’re selling a home, the lawyers review the agreement including negotiating the terms and conditions. They diligently deal with title issues that are present during the transaction and resolve them. They attend closing, arrange for transfer of security deposits or insurance certificates if necessary.

When issues or questions arise on any real estate transaction, especially if the deal is complicated or risky, it is always wise to consult real estate lawyers. However, just because an attorney says he knows and practices real estate law doesn’t mean he’s capable of handling your case.When choosing an attorney, keep in mind the purpose why you would need them in the first place.

Ask how long have they been practicing as a real estate attorney. If you need legal assistance with something simple like a purchase agreement, perhaps you won’t mind hiring someone with 1-3 years of experience. However, if you are dealing with a more complex real estate transaction, then you probably need someone who has longer legal experience. You also need to know what school they graduated from. If their school is out of state, check how much experience he has praticing his profession in your state.

It is important to know how many transactions the lawyer has handled similar to yours. Having experienced similar cases would give him more chances of resolving it in a short period of time by foreseeing potential problems and preventing them from happening.

If you ask them how they’ll handle your case, you would know an experienced real estate lawyer if he or she will give you an outline of his actions to meet your goals. Someone who isn’t seasoned enough, would just give you vague responses. And of course, don’t forget to ask how you will be billed. Most real estate lawyers work on an hourly basis, however for simple cases, you may negotiate for a flat fee.

Finding a good real estate attorney requires due diligence. If you need any legal assistance in any real estate transactions, give us a call