Florida Real Estate Closing Attorney
Many people will say you don’t need a real estate attorney when buying or selling a house in Florida. Having a realtor advise you and handle the transaction will work 85 percent of the time. It’s that 15 percent when you have a real mess on your hands. By the time you’ve figured out you need a real estate lawyer, it’s often too late. The most important phase of purchasing or selling real property is the preparation of the initial contract.
For example, one of my clients came to me after they had already signed a purchase contract to purchase a home “as is.” After signing the contract, the buyers discovered severe settling problems and termite infestation. The repair costs were estimated at $30,000. While I was able to help the client get out of the contract, they lost their escrow deposit and the cost of the inspection, approximately $2,3000 total.
The best way to head off problems when buying or selling a home is to have preventative legal maintenance. For example, whenever someone is planning to purchase a home “as is”, it is possible to include clauses that allow the potential buyer to get out of the contract without financial penalty. If selling “as is”, beware of the buyer’s mortgage company – they may not accept “as is” contracts. There are myriad traps that can arise.
I represent both buyers and sellers of residential property. I will review the offered contract or develop a new contract for you, review the title work to ensure you have clear title to the property, go over the sale procedures with you, and advise you every step of the way. For example, some people like to put children’s names on deeds, not realizing the severe negative ramifications this could have down the road.
Finally, I review all of the closing papers and documents. If problems come up during the transaction, I can help you with conflict resolution and mediation.
For More Information About Real Estate Services
Please contact real estate lawyer Rebecca M. Becker if you would like more information about how you could benefit from having a real estate lawyer represent you the next time you are buying or selling a home. We handle residential real estate transactions for clients in Flagler and Volusia County in Florida, including Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Deland, Deltona, Pierson, Palm Coast and Flagler Beach.
We look forward to an opportunity to work with you.
