Find Answers to Your Common Real Estate Questions

You have a lot of options when choosing a representative for your real estate transaction. Florida law doesn't require an attorney to be present when buying or selling a home, and you may legally perform the transaction without involving a real estate agent.

If you want to have someone represent your interests, you don’t even have to choose between hiring a real estate agent or hiring an attorney—you can have both on your side.

However, there are key differences between real estate lawyers and agents, and these can have a huge impact on the condition and value of your purchase.

Differences Between Real Estate Lawyers and Real Estate Agents

Good real estate agents have knowledge of Florida real estate laws and customs and can guide you through simple real estate transactions. It's their responsibility to:

• Know about neighborhoods and surrounding areas
• Perform market analysis of home values
• Submit and negotiate offers between buyers and sellers
• Look for potential defects in the property
• Negotiate a price for repairs or upgrades
• Draw up closing contracts for the final transaction

However, buyers’ and sellers’ agents aren't lawyers, and cannot provide any legal advice during a real estate transaction.

A real estate attorney can perform all of the duties of a real estate agent, but he or she can also:

• Answer your questions. Every real estate transaction involves an overwhelming amount of complex legal documents that must be read and understood before signing. We can explain the legal terms and technical language used in the purchase contract, mortgage, and any other transaction documents, allowing you to sign with peace of mind. In addition, we review all documents and correct any ambiguous language before you sign them, reducing the chances of a problem after the transaction is complete.
• Offer advice. A real estate attorney may have been hired for your purchase, but he or she can advise you on just about any legal issue. For example, there's more than one way to hold title to residential real estate in Florida. An attorney can tell you whether you would benefit more by holding title as sole ownership or joint tenancy, including how each affects taxes and inheritance after the life of the homeowner.
• Explain your options. Each decision you make throughout the buying or selling process has the potential for you to gain or lose a significant amount of money. If you have offers from a variety of lenders but aren’t sure which to accept, your attorney can compare the offers to find out which one best suits your needs. If you decide against the purchase completely, an attorney can examine the terms under which your deposit is forfeited and get your money back from the seller.
• Protect you at closing. Buyers and sellers may get all the way to closing without an attorney, then enlist the help of a lawyer to review closing paperwork before they sign. The fees that a real estate lawyer charges for a document review are often a fraction of the cost of the potential problems they identify and solve before the transaction is complete.
• Take over from an estate agent. Many real estate transactions that begin with the help of an agent end with a lawyer being called in when legal issues arise. An agent could lose his real estate license by answering a legal question for a buyer or seller—even if he knows the right answer. Given these limitations, a real estate attorney is in a better position to protect all of your interests throughout the buying process.

Ready to Help You

If you experience or anticipate any legal problems with your home purchase, only a qualified real estate lawyer can give you the answers you need.

Our attorneys provide as much or as little legal assistance as clients' need, allowing them to complete their sale or purchase with confidence. Simply fill out the quick contact form on this page to set up a consultation with one of our real estate attorneys.

Related Links: What Buyers and Sellers Should Know About FL Real Estate Transactions Is It Worth the Cost to Hire a Florida Real Estate Attorney? Settling Disputes Between Owners of Real Property

 

For many people, buying and selling real estate is the largest financial transaction they will ever make in their lifetimes. In addition to the pressure of inspections, negotiations, and closing, there's also the added pressure of setting a price that will meet your needs. The buyer and seller may attempt to make the transaction on their own, or each one can hire someone to act on their behalf—and hiring an attorney for the process can off many advantages.

What Your Attorney Does During the Course of a Real Estate Transaction

While Florida law doesn't require buyers and sellers to hire lawyers for real estate transactions, deals are usually brokered using either real estate agents or real estate attorneys. A real estate attorney can facilitate price negotiations, as well as help save you money and avoid legal liability or unforeseen costs.

We can protect your interests in a real estate transaction involving:

• Negotiations. First-time buyers are often not sure how to negotiate a fair price for the home or space they want, leading to overpayment or the offer falling through. A good real estate attorney will advise you on the worth of the property and how much you can afford, and will know how to negotiate with a seller or seller’s agent.
• Financing and lease agreements. When buyers need a lender to provide the funds for the sale, attorneys can explain the details and terms in the mortgage contract and communicate with the residential or commercial lender on your behalf. If you're purchasing commercial property, an attorney can help you draft and enforce a lease agreement with your future tenants.
• Commercial transactions. If you're buying commercial property, there are special considerations and additional legal issues that may not arise in a home buying transaction. Buyers must consider environmental issues, easements, federal and state zoning requirements, tenant claims, and other issues. Our attorneys can help you file applications for land use permits, address your current and future liability, and take action to secure the investment on your behalf.
• Document drafting and interpretation. Real estate sales involve the signing of many different documents, any one of which contains ambiguous language that leads to future legal battles. We can draft purchase and sale contracts, transfer deeds, leases, tax withholding documents, closing statements, and other documents in a way that clearly establishes liability and associated deadlines.
• Out-of-town buyers. A seller or buyer from out-of-state may not be aware of Florida’s requirements and regulations for real estate transactions. A local real estate attorney is in a better position to investigate and negotiate tax and transfer requirements that may apply to the property.
• Short sales. Bank-owned properties such as foreclosures and short sales involve specialized buying processed and requirements that can place an undue burden on the buyer. Your attorney can negotiate with the bank on your behalf and review the title to make sure you're paying a fair price.
• Seller disclosures. Sellers have a duty under Florida law to tell potential buyers about known hazards on the property before the land, home, or structure is sold. We'll draft a seller disclosure statement that identifies any potential problems, whose responsibility it is to fix them, and who can be held liable in the future.

It can be difficult to know when to involve an attorney in the real estate process. Some people prefer to have an attorney at their side from the beginning, while others will go it alone until a problem arises.

Even if you don't need a lawyer at the start, you shouldn't hesitate to ask an attorney to examine the closing documents before signing. At the very least, an attorney’s guidance gives you peace of mind that all documents are in order—and if they aren’t, you could avoid paying thousands of dollars in unforeseen costs or living with a bad business deal for the rest of your life.

We're Here for You

Whether you're buying a home, a lot of land, or a commercial space, your purchase is a significant investment. Our attorneys tailor services to your specific needs, allowing you to get the right price, financing, and location that works for you.

In addition, we take the time to explain your options in a way you can understand, allowing you to make choices about the future with confidence. Simply fill out the quick contact form on this page to set up a consultation with one of our real estate attorneys.

Related Links: What Buyers and Sellers Should Know About FL Real Estate Transactions Is It Worth the Cost to Hire a Florida Real Estate Attorney? Settling Disputes Between Owners of Real Property

 

When purchasing real property, one of the issues presented is - Should I get a survey?

If you are financing your purchase, the decision will undoubtedly be made for you by your lender. Most, if not all, lenders will require a survey of the property so that the survey exception will be removed from the lender's title insurance policy.

If you are paying cash for the property, you must decide whether or not to obtain a survey. The following are some guidelines for you to follow:

A) If the property is not a platted lot within a subdivision, you should definitely obtain a survey;

B) If the property is a platted lot within a subdivision and the neighboring properties do not have any improvements near the apparent boundary lines of the property, a survey is probably not necessary;

C) If there are improvements near the apparent boundary lines of the property, a survey would be recommended;

D) If you intend to make any improvements to the property post-closing (a room addition or the installation of a swimming pool), you should definitely obtain a survey.

In the last case, once you have the survey in hand, you should visit with the building officials in your city or county to verify that you can, in fact, build what you desire to build upon the property.

The cost of a survey is generally low in relation to the cost of the purchase itself. Therefore, when in doubt, obtain a survey and present it to your closing agent so that your title insurance policy will not contain a survey exception. Additionally, when you sell your property, your buyer may be able to use your survey.

At a real estate closing, many documents are executed by the seller and buyer. A substantial number of the documents must be notarized by a notary public.

Section 117.05(5) of the Florida Statutes provides that a notary public may not notarize a signature on a document unless he or she personally knows, or has satisfactory evidence, that the person whose signature is to be notarized is the individual who is executing the instrument.

It is highly unlikely that you will personally know the notary public at your closing, therefore, you must provide the notary public with at least one of the following forms of identification:

1. A Florida identification card or driver's license issued by the public agency authorized to issue driver's licenses;
2. A passport issued by the U.S. Department of State;
3. A passport issued by a foreign government if the document is stamped by the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
4. A driver's license issued by a public agency authorized to issue driver's licenses in a state other than Florida, a territory of the United States, or Canada or Mexico;
5. An identification card issued by a territory of the United States or a state other than Florida;
6. An identification card issued by any branch of the armed forces of the United States; or,
7. An identification card issued by the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

We highly recommend to our clients that they obtain a Florida identification card if they no longer possess a driver's license.