Real Estate

For most people, their home is one of their largest investments. Despite this, many people make the mistake of being penny wise, but pound foolish. Hiring an attorney to ensure your real estate transaction goes smoothly may seem expensive, especially when you already have a deal in place, but when viewed as the small fraction of your total investment that it is, the ounce of prevention provided by an attorney can be worth far more than a pound of cure later.

Many real estate transactions are handled using boilerplate documents that the real estate agent has used on dozens of previous closings. Most transactions will go through smoothly and the closing documents will be little more than a formality that is left in a filing cabinet. However, every property is unique and may have potential problems that could be missed by treating the transaction as if it were any other. Potential issues include:

• Bad Titles
• Short Sales
• Homeowner Association Covenants
• Condo Board Rules
• Foreclosures
• Easements
• Adverse Possession
• Boundary Disputes
• Tax or Homeowner Association Liens

The value at which your home is appraised for sale can differ greatly from what a property tax appraiser says is its value. For many homeowners, this can be a good thing, as improvements that make your home stand out in the crowd to potential buyers aren’t valued as highly for tax purposes. Other times, however, you may feel that your home has been overvalued for tax purposes when taking into account market conditions, its age, and other factors. If this is the case, we can help you appeal the tax appraisal of your property with the goal of returning your property tax bill to a more reasonable level.