Buying Your Home with the Help of a Real Estate Lawyer

The home-buying experience can often be overwhelming. Whether you’re a first-time buyer who’s ready to finally get a place to call your own, or you’ve just found the new home you’ve always dreamed of – there’s so much to be done, and usually limited time to do it. What many home-buyers are unaware of is that the use of a knowledgeable real estate attorney can alleviate many of the problems that arise prior to closing. With the help of an attorney, buyers can rest assured that the process will go more smoothly. This allows you to worry less about getting the deal done, and more about what color to paint your new living room.   

There are many ways in which hiring a real estate attorney will benefit you throughout the home-buying process. However, there are a few key tasks that make a seasoned real estate attorney essential.

Title Search

Conducting an adequate title search is potentially the most valuable service that a real estate attorney can offer. A title search will allow for an attorney to determine that the seller has the legal right necessary to sell the property to the buyer. Without a thorough title search, a seller may attempt to sell a property to which they do not hold proper title, or a property that is encumbered. An attorney has the necessary expertise to analyze the title documents, identify any problems, and give you a full legal opinion.

An encumbrance – such as a lien, a judgment, or an easement – may cause a buyer to pay more than what they should have, or to not get what was originally bargained for. An encumbrance may negatively affect the value of the property, or it may make the property unusable in a certain manner that the buyer did not anticipate. 

After a proper title search, the buyer will be in a better position to negotiate the purchase price with all the necessary information, or in more drastic circumstances, to walk away from the transaction if the search has revealed information that is of major concern to the buyer.

Closing Process

Closing is the most important event during the home-buying process. At closing, legal title officially passes from the seller to the buyer. There are a significant number of documents to be signed, and a lot of paperwork to go through, all within a short period of time. A real estate lawyer will prepare these documents for you, and help you understand their contents and significance.

Because closing is so important, you will feel more at ease with an attorney by your side. With the right person in your corner, you can walk out with confidence, knowing that you got the best deal possible, and that there are no big surprises awaiting you down the road.

Proper Filings

With all that paperwork to go through, and all those documents to sign, you may run the risk of forgetting something without the help of an attorney. Your deed always needs to be properly recorded with the proper government offices, and this process will be second-nature to your experienced real estate lawyer.

Depending on zoning laws or other relevant rules that apply to your newly-purchased property, additional filings may be necessary to ensure that you will be able to enjoy your new home to the fullest extent possible. A real estate lawyer can properly identify any filings that will affect you and your home before it’s too late.

Buying a home is typically the biggest purchase an individual or a couple will make in their lifetime – but you don’t have to go it alone! With a dedicated real estate attorney by your side, you can feel at ease with the complex aspects of the purchase, and focus more on the joys of owning a home— like backyard BBQs and game nights with the kids! To find out more about how an attorney can help you with your upcoming real estate transaction, contact Goosmann Law Firm and speak with one of our Sioux City attorneys, Sioux Falls attorneys, or Omaha attorneys!