Purchases and Refinances
The heart of the residential real estate transaction is you and the realization of your dreams.
The decision to purchase a home, perhaps the home of your dreams, can be one of the most exciting and meaningful decisions a person or family will make. Nothing is more important to us than assisting you in making the purchase of your dream home a reality. We coordinate and mange the title transfer process, and provide advice to our clients from start to finish, not just on the day of closing. While title certification, document review, coordinating the flow of information, and managing the exchange of funds are all important responsibilities of the real estate attorney, nothing is more important to us than ensuring that our client’s “dream come true” is fully protected. As part of our commitment to outstanding service, we typically do not charge our residential real estate clients any more than the typical closing fee to provide advice and counsel regarding your transaction, and to patiently answer any questions you may have regarding the purchase or sale.
We are available to help our clients with:
As you prepare to close on your home, remember these tips:
Review your contract:
We encourage our clients to contact us early to discuss and review their Offer to Purchase and Contract. Timeliness in reviewing a proposed contract can save you money and prevent problems before they occur. For example, many contracts provide a time limit for a refund of the earnest money deposit. It would be a quite unhappy experience to have an inspection turn-up a serious defect and discover you missed the refund deadline.
Inspect the property
Know the deadlines for inspecting the property. If you are purchasing an existing home, a qualified home inspector can catch defects that could result in serious repair bills in the near future. For new construction, buyers should review with the builder the warranty and make a “punch list” of those final touches you want to be completed by closing.
Remember homeowner’s insurance
This is an additional closing expense which often gets overlooked until the last minute. If you are financing your purchase, you will be required to provide proof of insurance before the closing. Even if you are paying in cash, you will want to protect your investment from the day of closing.
Have your property surveyed
Recently an attorney called about a client who was preparing to sell her home. A survey revealed that a corner of her home was actually on her neighbors lot! The legal description of her property did not reveal this defect at the time of her original closing. Now, years later, a survey showed this serious encroachment which rendered the property unmarketable. Though extreme, her neighbor could have demanded the corner of the house be removed, by bulldozer!