When you are involved in a residential or commercial real estate transaction in Florida, it's important to understand what a real estate attorney can to do to actively protect your interests, prevent mistakes, and solve issues that could delay your closing. Working with a real estate attorney helps you stay on top of all the details of your life-changing investment and makes your transaction as painless as possible.

Find & Resolve “Hidden” Issues

When you purchase real estate, a title agent will search the property title for things like liens, and verify that the seller is the rightful owner, entitled to sell you the property. The results of this search are provided to the parties in a title commitment, which is one of the most important documents in the closing process. The vast majority of buyers do not know what a title commitment is and therefore don't bother to review it. Hiring a real estate attorney to review the title commitment can alert you to issues before you purchase the property. In many cases they can help resolve these issues before the closing. Otherwise, you may not be aware of title issues that could cost you money later on: Issues like liens, easements, or deed restrictions. A real estate attorney can serve as the title agent too.

Gain A Clear, Accurate Understanding

Real estate contracts are incredibly complicated, and it's critical that you understand everything you're committing to, both rights and obligations, before you sign. When you hire a real estate attorney to review the documentation and contract for your potential purchase, you add a layer of protection and peace of mind. Your real estate attorney will review all the terms and contingencies, explain anything you don't understand, and advise you if they find issues that work against your best interest. Another benefit to having an attorney review the title and contract is that they can let you know if there are any land use controls or zoning issues that could affect your future plans for the property.

Added Protection For Short Sales & Foreclosures

Short sales and foreclosures can offer buyers excellent value, but that value is not without risk. When you're dealing with bank-owned property or property that the lender has agreed to allow to be sold for less than the seller owes, there are some potential pitfalls. Hiring a real estate attorney helps ensure that you're not stuck in a situation where the seller doesn't actually have the lender's permission for a short sale, or the lender is able to come after you for the shortfall later, or you're dealing with liens or other encumbrances that transfer with the property title.

Experienced Real Estate Attorneys In Florida

The real estate attorneys at Overstreet Law, P.A. are highly experienced in helping Florida real estate buyers and sellers protect their interests and investments. Call us or contact us online for a confidential consultation, and we'll let you know what to expect and how we can help!