What Does a Lawyer Do When Buying a House?
What Does a Lawyer Do When Buying a House?
Most individuals look for a home at certain stages in their lives. Whether that is when you get married, grow your family, or downsize, during the time of looking for the perfect home, you practically become best friends with your real estate agent.
But did you know that you don’t necessarily need a real estate agent to purchase a house? A real estate attorney can complete the legal process for you!
If you are buying land or a home, only an attorney — not the title company, lender, or the real estate agent — represents your interests and works exclusively for you.
A real estate attorney can be very helpful, especially if you encounter a complicated or unusual legal issue when purchasing your new property. Real estate agents are not licensed to provide legal advice and can be fined if they do so, so if the new venture you are seeking needs legal aid, a real estate attorney is the best person to talk to.
What are some examples of legal issues when purchasing a property?
- A tenant is residing on part of the property
- A tax lien has been imposed on the property
- A property dispute with homeowner associations or neighbors
- A transaction dispute: fraud, non-disclosure, or breach of contract
- A construction dispute: non-performance or non-payment
- A landlord-tenant dispute: commercial or residential
Real estate attorneys are trained to address the legal issues surrounding property transactions, but they also have the power to draft purchase agreements, mortgage documents, title documents and even transfer documents.
A properly drafted real estate contract is perhaps the best way to avoid costly and time-consuming litigation that may arise from a real estate transaction. At Henry & Beaver, LLP we take great pride in effectively communicating with clients in order to understand every aspect of their particular transaction before we write the documents. In addition, we take many other steps to avoid problems in the future.
Some of these services include:
- Getting the proper disclosures
- Reviewing the escrow
- Ensuring that all financing and insurance issues are resolved
- Reviewing title histories
- Reviewing agents’ agreements
- Drafting or reviewing the agreement of sale
- Preparation of deeds, powers of attorney, mortgages and notes, or lease agreements
- Attending the settlement (closing)
At Henry & Beaver, LLP, we help purchasers and sellers of both residential and commercial property complete real estate transactions. We provide personalized, detail-oriented service tailored to the individual needs of each client.
Since 1895, Henry & Beaver, LLP has been providing legal services to individuals in Lebanon, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading, York and Pottsville. We understand the local courts (and local politics), and we are actively involved in the communities we serve.
To schedule a consultation at our Lebanon law firm, fill out our online contact form by clicking here or call 717-274-3644.