Estate Attorney Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Do you think hiring a real estate attorney is a good idea when closing on your home? We will be closing on our new home next month in Northern VA. As first time home buyers, we are not sure if we do require a real estate attorney in understanding legal issues pertaning to the settlement. How much do these attorneys typically charge and is it really imperitve that you hire one? PS: I forgot to mention it is a new construction. We did get a pre-dry wall as well as pre-settlement inspection.

Answer: Absolutely! Ask friends and family for recommendations or ask your Realtor for a list of attorneys he or she works with regularly. Call them all to get estimates of the charges. I'm in the NY/CT area and a typical fee is $500-$1000+, but it's worth every penny...they will check to see if there are any claims on the property, etc...you don't want to purchase a property that has an unsatisfied mortgage or other lien and then be stuck with that burden. Good luck!

Question: How much should I expect to pay for a real estate attorney consultation? I have been offered a deal that involves real estate. What do I expect to pay real estate attorney for a consultation (explain details, risks, loop-holes) and contract verification?

Answer: Around $700 give or take a little. Thats a good figure of what people pay here, in Louisiana. Im a REALTOR and almost all closings and other real estate related transactions attorneys charge from $650-$775.

Question: How do I find a good real estate attorney? I'm buying a house near Austin TX. (I live near Chicago) How do I find a good real estate attorney to draw up a lease/purchase agreement?

Answer: why not google a real estate agent in that area of Austin Texas and ask them if they can do it... will cost alot less possibly, thats what I would do first and if they can't do it then google real estate attorney in that area

Question: What is a good second job for a real estate attorney? With the real estate market so painfully slow now, my best girlfriend is a real estate attorney and is wondering how to best supplement her current almost next to nothing income.

Answer: My friend is a real estate attorney also she is currently supplementing her income by doing document review. She can find doc review jobs through temp agencies and large law firms. I am friends with several attorneys they also do doc review to supplement their income. Doc review is good for attorneys who need the extra cash. She should also try networking groups through the local county bar association. What also works is if she does some volunteer time in something she is interesting through the bar association in her county. Where I live there's a Young Lawyers Association they basically work as a networking group and a get together, and they also give out information on CLE's. YLA;'s are a great way to meet people and hear about prospective jobs. Good luck to your friend. I know plenty of attorneys who are not having luck with the job market out there.

Question: Do i need a real estate attorney and inspector to buy a new home in Southern CA? I'm about to sign a sale contract with a home builder, the house is in Riverside, CA. i heard some comment that i only need to have a real estate agent to take care and review my contract and escrow paper, not lawyer. is that true? somehow with all the research i've done online i'm not so convincing of that idea. this is the first time i buy a house so i have no clue at all who is better.please advise. and if i do need a real estate attorney, please give me some recommendation in Riverside,CA or around the city. It'd be nice too if you could give me an idea of how big the attorney charge will be. I'm also being told that i don't need to hire a home inspector since the house is brand new and come with warranty.again i'm not very convincing. so i need more advise and opinion from more people and recommendation for home inspector too. please also let me know the inspection charge range if possible. thank you!

Answer: The State of California has building codes and builders are required to comply with them. Don't worry too much. Get a home inspector and he/she will tell you if the home you are buying is up to codes. A home inspection will cost you about $350. It depends on the size of the house. Attorneys charge a lot of money. $250 per hour seems to be a going rate. If you want an honest advice, hiring one would be a waste of money. You are buying a house for the first time and I understand your concerns. However, don't freak out too much over the process. Read the contract yourself and see if there is something that really bothers you. Then you can ask a Realtor. Make a use of free services you are getting from a real estate agent. Keep in mind that many buyers neglect to check the pre-payment penalty on their loan. It's something you should know about. I disagree with Clifford G. Since you are buying a house for the first time, you need a professional guidance. Congratulations on you purchase.

Question: Why did Octo Mom obtain a Real Estate Attorney to Represent Her? I noticed that Jeff Czech is a Real Estate Attorney. I wonder how a Real Estate Attorney could be that helpful in protecting Nadya from potential charges of child endangerment. Any thoughts on the matter.

Answer: He's probably the only person left on the planet crazy enough to represent her. She's probably just looking for anyone she can find at this point.

Question: Can I seek a new real estate attorney in the middle of the transaction? Hi. I'm having some problems with my Real Estate attorney. He's just not providing to me the appropriate services that I need and he's also been overheard saying that he hasn't done any work on my file thus far. We signed the contracts in October. How effective is it to change now that we're so close but yet so far if we continue to use him.

Answer: You can cancel at any time prior to closing the transaction. If you signed any type of buyer agreement you might be required to pay him his commission if you purchase the property that he started out representing you for. make sense? But yes you can cancel if you are not happy with there service.

Question: As a homebuyer, is it worth hiring a real estate attorney? I asked a previous question about taxes and escrow and noticed that a few responders recommended seeking advice from a real estate attorney. I'm still very early in the buying process for a home that would cost less than $200k. From a cost perspective, does it make sense to retain an attorney? What are the advantages?

Answer: There are no advantages to contacting an attorney at all. In a few states your closing agent is an attorney. They make sure your documents are in order, but most of the work is done by a paralegal clerk not by the attorney. They make sure that the paper work going to the title company is what the title company need to close the transaction. You can go direct to a tile company that have their own closing attorneys. This will reduce your closing cost by a small amount. If you live in a state like California, we rely on escrows to close loans and make sure all documents are in order, the same as an attorney in states that require closing agents to be attorneys. Again you can always go direct to a title company and use their escrow officers within the title company, this might save a few dollars. You don't need an attorney unless you reside in a state that require an attorney for closing purposes. I hope this has been of some use to you, good luck. "FIGHT ON"

Question: Where is a good place to find a real estate attorney? I'm trying to build my investing team, and I want to find a good Real Estate Attorney to have under my belt. Where is a good place to find someone affordable, and reputable? Thanks!

Answer: A] Call or write to the local Board of Realtors(R). You can get that info by calling a real estate broker who has that "R" in the square or with the distinction "REALTOR(R)" following the name. B] OR you could look in your yellow pages under "Attorneys" or "Lawyers" to see which firms represents themselves as "Real Estate Attorneys" OR "Real Property Attorneys". C] Call the Law School at a local University to ask if one of their Alumni practice real estate. Thanks for asking your Q! I enjoyed answering it! VTY, Ron Berue Yes, that is my real last name!

Question: Can I hire a real estate attorney on commission? If I do fsbo and get an offer, can I hire a real estate attorney on commission? Is it always a flat fee or commission or either?

Answer: They can not accept a commission without a license to do so, most will be working for a flat fee.

Question: Can you tell me what it takes to be a real estate attorney? So, I decided on what I want to be a while back. A real estate attorney. I know that I have to go to college, get a JD and pass the bar exam. I want to know what type of courses I should take. Are there any real estate attorneys out there? If so, what courses did you take, what is your job like and what is your annual salary? If you're not a real estate attorney, but know something about it, can you help also?

Answer: Not knowing where you are now... You need an undergraduate degree. Preferably business with an emphasis or minor in "Pre-Law" if it is offered at your 4 year college. Then, with good grades and perhaps some experience you may be accepted to a law school. There you choose your field... Real estate rather than criminal or defence or plain corporate law. Real Estate Law is a twist off of Corporate Law. Good Luck.

Question: Real Estate attorney, I need add my name on our deed to be able qualie for exemption of disbility,? Any one had this done and what all does real estate attorney do, will it be complicated?

Answer: You can go to a title company and they can handle it for you to. You can also go to Office Depot, Staples and Office Max, purchase a "do it yourself quit claim" kit and file it with the court house yourself.

Question: what are some reasons to become an attorney? specifically a real estate attorney, but any? what are some good reasons for becoming an attorney? what are some good reasons for becoming a real estate attorney?

Answer: There is not many good reasons for becoming an attorney. Major lawyer glut, too many law schools. USA needs more lawyers, like it needs swine flu. I have been a real estate lawyer. As another poster said most attorneys cannot just be a real estate attorney. Real estate is cyclical, less deals, means less work for attorneys in general. The foreclosure law firms are doing well, but that is only if you own a foreclosure law firm. I interviewed at my state's biggest foreclosure law firm and they were offering a $35,000 salary, wOW, let me roll up the armored car. They had probably 70 attorneys. Most of them were doing some small little grunt work pieces of the foreclosure, so they never saw the big picture of how to perform a foreclosure from beginning to end. I could not help it I laughed at the interviewer when he told me salary. I put up with a lot to be a licensed attorney, no way they get me for $35K. I would rather worked at Taco Bell as an assistant manager and probably get paid more. I have done a bunch of real estate closings where people are buying and refinancing property. That used to be an OK gig, again you have to own the law firm. I worked for a real estate/debt collection law firm making $25,000 a year, it was a joke. I needed the experience so I worked there for a short time, but I felt totally used. Then I went on my own. BIG STRESS. There is huge competition for clients among attorneys. It is hard or impossible for most new attorneys to get clients. Also, for real estate closings most states are allowing non-lawyers to do closings, and this trend is spreading. It costs less for a kid with a high school diploma doing your closing versus an attorney, so in the non-attorney states it is harder to make a $. Then there is all the unethical stuff where people, like real estate agents and mortgage brokers want bribes/kickbacks for giving you business, which is illegal. If anything goes wrong with the closing you take the blame even though it is not your fault. Real Estate Agents, I cannot stand Real Estate Agents, they complain about everyone else, and how much the attorney charges. Yet, they get paid five times more than anyone for a closing. It is a declining, cut-throat business. Really, go into healthcare if you have any interest in that field. Pharmacist, physical therapist, nurse, MD, dentist, those are the high pay, high in demand jobs that pay well. If you go law you might not be able to get a job. I went to a top twenty law school and there were classmates working as waiters and shoe salesmen months after graduation looking for a law job. Since then there have been several new law schools opening, passing the 200 mark for ABA accredited law schools in the USA(There are 37 dental schools, with a quarter of the class size), not to mention the unaccredited ones, there are ten more new law schools planning to open in the next two years, CRAZY. I read an article in Lawyers Weekly, This year law is so bad that the 09' graduates of Harvard Law, generally ranked #1 cannot find jobs this year.

Question: using a real estate attorney to sell my house? When i bought my house i let the realtor take care of everything. Now i am selling my house to my coworker who wants to buy my house using a real estate attorney instead of a realtor to cut cost. I am for cutting costs too but was wondering what i need to prepare for this whole process. I was gonna call the real estate attorney and ask but want to see what people on yahoo answers have to say for advice.

Answer: I did'nt have a problem useing the outher guys realastate attorney

Question: Where does a Real Estate Attorney work? So, I am set on the idea of being a Real Estae Attorney when I grow up but I am clueless as to where I would work. Would it be a normal law firm or a real estate brokerage?

Answer: You could work at either place depending on what you want to do. The real estate brokerage firms (the larger ones such as the Corcoran Group) have in-house attorneys.

Question: When do I need a real estate attorney? We are working with a real estate lawyer. We want to buy a bank owned home and would like to offer. My question is when does a real estate attorney comes in the equation? Is the attorney need after the offer is accepted. How about the inspection and everything? What is the whole process of buying a bank owned home? i'm in nyc.

Answer: you did not volunteer where you are but if you have real estate BUYER"s AGENTS in your state, hire one. He/she can do all you need to do and then, when you are ready to CLOSE escrow, give the documents to the atty.