A real estate lawyer can be your best advocate when dealing with a complex residential or commercial real estate transaction. At the Law Office of Allan Neef, in St. Clair Shores Michigan, I provide a detail-oriented approach to this complicated process.

Experience and Objectivity

Real estate transactions can be among the most complex transactions that most people enter into during their lifetimes. A real estate transaction usually involves the negotiation of various financing arrangements such as land contracts, purchase money mortgages, or mortgages from financial institutions using a variety of interest rate and fee provisions. There are property tax issues, and income tax consequences. There may be land use restrictions, easements, or rights of way. If the transaction involves a condominium unit, there are a complex set of interacting documents that need to be understood. There may be environmental issues.

Too frequently, clients deal with sales agents, make decisions, borrow money, and sign documents without understanding the full breadth of what is involved. Because real estate transactions often follow a standardized format using preprinted forms, clients often underestimate the value of the service a lawyer can provide. A real estate transaction usually involves a number of specialists, such as real estate sales agents and brokers, title insurance companies, surveyors, lenders, appraisers, and sometimes architects, developers, and contractors. Each of these has an interest in seeing the transaction close, because that's how they get paid. The only person involved primarily to protect the client's best interest is the lawyer.

Detailed and Thorough Process

I represent clients in residential real estate transactions, including single-family homes, multi-family residences, and condominiums. As a real estate law attorney, I conduct a detailed review of the documentation for completeness and accuracy, make sure the client understands certain risks, and make certain my client is getting what he or she is paying for in the transaction.

Too often, a client will sign a purchase agreement, and then bring the contract in for review. You should involve your lawyer before any documents are drafted or signed. Options are more limited after documents are signed.