Real Estate, Business Law, Non-Profit Law

Schedule a Consultation

Call Us Today (314) 862-2237

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • Marc Jacob
    • Jace Brotherton
    • Firm News
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate
    • Commercial LL – Tenant Law
    • Real Estate Litigation
    • Lawyer to Buy A House?
    • Motel/Hotel Purchases and Sales
    • Tenants Rights Law
    • Quiet Title Lawsuit
  • Business Law
    • Business Law
    • General Counsel
  • Not-For-Profit
  • Law Blog
    • Law Blog
    • Legal Resources
  • Contact Us

Do I Need A Lawyer to Buy Or Sell A Home?

Schedule A Consultation

This is a question I get asked often, particularly here in Missouri where it is not customary to use lawyers in home purchases unless or until something goes wrong. Oddly, in other parts of the country, NOT using an attorney is considered foolhardy or even against the law. If you are like most people, buying a home is the most significant and largest purchase you will ever make, and it is often a major cause of stress.

Please read on, but also visit our residential site, www.HomeSweetLegal.com to sign up for an affordable (and possibly FREE) lawyer to help you buy or sell your next home.

Since we live in a more mobile society, geographically as well as economically, it is also very likely that you will buy more than one home in your lifetime, thus subjecting yourself, your assets and your family to major liability exposure more than once.

Why not reduce the stress in your life by relying on your real estate attorney, whose experience in this area of real estate, whether you are using an agent or are FSBO, can guide you seamlessly through and help you get better terms in a more comprehensive review of the entire deal?

For Protection

The law of real property is complicated, and a real estate lawyer is trained to deal with the unique problems and issues that can, and often do arise for home sellers and buyers. Although in recent years we have streamlined the home-buying process with standard contracts and on-line brokerage listings, the liability exposure and danger to buyers and sellers has not been eliminated. As the recent mortgage meltdown illustrates, the dangers may be worse than ever.

“Standard contracts” are usually drafted on behalf of the local Realtors Associations, whose members have economic interest making the sale. Sometimes a local Bar Association or private attorney drafts the documents. Realtors are an important and oftentimes necessary part of the home sale transaction, but the “standard contract” will have clauses that are better or worse for you, depending upon whether you are a Buyer or Seller. We feel that Buyers are at a particular disadvantage in this area and should have the contracts modified in various circumstances.

Below are a number of specific areas where your attorney can be indispensable to you when buying or selling your next home. The best part is that hiring a lawyer in this area is relatively inexpensive…a drop in the bucket when compared with the overall purchase price and even agent commissions.

Click on any of the links below to learn more about that particular area.

Legal Advice And Your Real Estate Agent

Your lawyer is the only completely objective party acting on your behalf. Even the best real estate agent is not licensed to make changes to the standard contracts, and should not be asked to give legal advice. It puts the agent or broker in an unfair and uncomfortable position, risking his/her real estate license in order the please the client. It is also a disservice to the client, as the agent or broker is not trained or licensed to provide the advice the client seeks.

Legal Advice And The Sale Contract

Even a standard agreement is many pages in length and will cover an array of areas. Having you attorney involved from the beginning can resolve potential problems in your favor before they even arise.

Legal Advice And Financing Terms

Mortgage brokers get paid based upon signing up qualified applicants for mortgages, which creates some conflict of interest between them and the client. A lawyer will review documents from the lender, and can also draft the Note and Deed of Trust / Mortgage documents n cases of owner take-back financing.

“For Sale By Owner” , “Rent-to-Own” and “Short Sale” Situations

In the For Sale By Owner transaction, there is no telling whether the contract actually matches up to their expectations and, since there is no realtor, using a standard realtor’s form makes little sense.

The Rent-to-Own situation is generally a result of the inability to sell the home outright. Whichever side (normally the seller, but not always) hires an attorney to draft the rent-to-own contract will be at a tremendous advantage.

A Short Sale is when the bank is willing to take less than is owed on the mortgage, in order to avoid paying to foreclose. An attorney is needed to keep a watchful eye on them, as well as to make sure the deal is not structured in such a way as to constitute a fraud on the bank.

For Experience and Skill

Your attorney will either have seen and dealt with a similar situation to yours in the past or, at the very least, will be tooled with the skills and resources needed to assess the issues and help you determine your options and a likely resolution. It is particularly risky to move forward without legal representation when the other side either is an attorney or has one they are consulting. In addition, there are particular areas and issues that are trickier than others, and for which you will likely want legal advice.

Title Commitments and Surveys

Your real estate lawyer will help you quickly sift through the title commitment and advise you as you any problems. You will also want your attorney to review the survey to make sure it matches up with the description in the title commitment, and to use it as a check on the title commitment exclusions to the insurance policy.

Zoning and Land Use

Zoning regulations, environmental regulations, and other factors play a part in the market value of property. You may want to know what was done in the past or what is planned for the future to affect the ultimate sale price.

Condominiums, Cooperatives and Home Owner’s Associations

If you are buying a condo or co-op, make sure you have your attorney review the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) or Bylaws, which lay out your rights and obligations.

A Home Owner Association (HOA) is a group of owners who are part of a mutual benefit organization that governs the activities and aesthetics or the area covered. An attorney can advice you of your rights and obligations through a review of the HOA bylaws.

Closing Documents

At Closing, the buyers may be given literally hundreds of documents they have never seen before. Having your attorney present can cut right through all this so that you are confident you are only signing the documents you need to sign and that you understand what you are signing BEFORE you sign it.

Contact us today by clicking here, or by calling us directly at 314.862.2237 or go to our residential site, www.HomeSweetLegal.com to learn more or to sign up online to get your own lawyer when you buy or sell a home.

Schedule A Consultation

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. Information provided on this website is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice. Transmission of information from this website or via internet email from this website does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Links to sites maintained by third parties are for your convenience, but those sites are not endorsed by this law firm. The Jacob Law Firm, LLC also does business as Home Sweet Legal.

Contact The Jacob Law Firm

Putting Clients First. All of our Clients receive the personal attention they expect and deserve.

The Jacob Law Firm,LLC Super Lawyers Logo

Marc Jacob, Esq.
141 N. Meramec, Suite 201
Saint Louis, Missouri 63105
Tel: 314.862.2237
Fax: 314.884.6041
Email: mjacob@marcjacobesq.com

The Jacob Law Firm,LLC Map

Contact Us

Recent Posts

  • Tax Sales & Title Issues in St. Louis County
  • GUEST BLOGGER: Retirees Looking To Homestead Can Use These Tips For Buying A Property
  • Commercial Leasing For Small Businesses
  • How Do I Start a LLC in Missouri?
  • Why Should My Lawyer Review the Home Inspection?

Categories

  • Business Law
  • Quiet Title Suits and Tax Sales
  • Real Estate
  • Uncategorized

Copyright 2015-2023 by Marc Jacob Esq. All Rights Reserved. // Privacy Policy // Site By: The Attorneys ATM. The Jacob Law Firm, LLC also does business as Home Sweet Legal ®.

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • Marc Jacob
    • Jace Brotherton
    • Firm News
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate
    • Commercial LL – Tenant Law
    • Real Estate Litigation
    • Lawyer to Buy A House?
    • Motel/Hotel Purchases and Sales
    • Tenants Rights Law
    • Quiet Title Lawsuit
  • Business Law
    • Business Law
    • General Counsel
  • Not-For-Profit
  • Law Blog
    • Law Blog
    • Legal Resources
  • Contact Us