calliecritturs
Posted : 2/27/2008 12:16:02 PM
It’s interesting, but I HAVE to add a note to this – last week when this thread was ‘going’ I actually spoke to a woman who just HAPPENED to mention (in the context of wanting some other document done) that she was closing on her house. She has a legal plan that ‘pays’ the attorney and decided to have my atty look at her contract.
LONG story made real short – the ‘perfect’ closing she thot she had going (she’s bought/sold other properties, thot there was no reason for an attorney, "particularly since the real estate agent is a friend of mine";) fell apart, and finally is closing today – and my attorney has saved her over $2,200 in closing costs that SHE has to pay (not just what will be in escrow but CASH out of her pocket). She’s now a ‘believer’ and the most recent term she called my attorney this morning was "hero".
Why? Because fees, etc. were being charged by the title company and added on by others that weren’t normally buyer costs and some of it was just plain WRONG. Routinely when my attorney gets involved, even when someone is paying out of their pocket for the attorney, he saves them at least as much as his fees are and very often "saves their bacon". Without him, they would have just paid that ‘bottom line’ because they were told that’s what it cost to close.
The other gal who works with me and I were literally having a grand time listening this morning to him saying stuff like "No, MY client doesn’t have to pay that ... no ... she’s not going to pay THAT ..."
In short, THAT is the real reason to hire an attorney. A title company ... nor a real estate agent ... neither are on the Buyer’s side. All sorts of reasonable-sounding fees are nothing more than dressing often times.
In Florida you do *not* have to have an attorney help you close. But boy-howdy ... it’s a must for me.