Columbus Real Estate Closing Attorneys

The attorneys at Harris & Engler assist both buyers and sellers with the entire transaction and closing process for commercial and residential real estate sales.  The law firm of Harris & Engler is located in Columbus, Ohio, and its attorneys predominantly practice in the Columbus and Delaware areas of Central Ohio.  There are a number of things that need to be done to protect yourself before a real estate closing.  The real property closing attorneys at Harris & Engler will conduct title searches and review title insurance documents to ensure that you know exactly what you are purchasing and that you are protected for all contingencies.

Residential Real Estate Closing Attorney

Purchasing a home can be the biggest investment of your life.  An attorney comes into the real estate sale process in usually a couple of different ways.  First, some people want to purchase or sell a home without a real estate agent.  In this situation, an attorney can help protect you from the potential legal consequences, can help to make sure that you have a favorable real estate purchase contract, that you set up your inspections, and can otherwise guide you through the entire real estate closing process.  

Second, is the situation in which you need an attorney to try to get out of the real estate purchase contract.  Most real estate purchase contracts have an attorney review and approval clause as a contingency of the contract. A real estate closing attorney should be able to get you out of the purchase contract if done within the contractual time constraints.  

Third, is where an attorney reviews all of the documents and represents the buyer or seller during the real estate closing.  At a round table real estate closing your attorney is going to be the only one there who is truly looking out for only your best interests.  Otherwise, through the use of an attorney you may be able to avoid having to go to the real estate round table closing session altogether.  

Cutting Down on Real Estate Closing Costs by Using an Attorney

Typical real estate broker commission fees total 6% of the sale price of the real estate at issue.  It is usually the seller that pays these costs out of the closing fees for the house (and in turn, the sale price is usually increased by 6% to account for this cost).  Accordingly, it is typically cheaper to buy or sell a home without a real estate broker.  However, real estate brokers do provide a great advantage in having intimate knowledge of the real estate market and in having access to MLS listings.  If you've chosen to go about the home buying or selling process without the use of a real estate agent, then you will want to use an attorney to make sure that everything is done properly and you can save a lot of money in the process.

Residential Real Estate Sellers Attorney

If you intend to proceed in the purchase or sale of your residential real estate without a real estate broker, then it would be to your great advantage to have an attorney prepare the necessary documents, walk you through the process, and protect your interests through closing.  The attorneys at Harris & Engler represent sellers of real estate in a number of different aspects.  First, the out of state property owner may want an attorney to look after the whole process and ensure a smooth real estate closing.  Second, if you are selling real estate without the use of a real estate agent, then you will want an attorney to prepare the contracts and otherwise walk you through the process.  Lastly, you will want an attorney to ensure a smooth real estate closing and to truly look after your interests during the closing.  

Commercial Real Estate Closing Attorney

When you are purchasing or selling commercial real estate, it is critically important that you get a commercial real estate closing attorney.  The attorneys at Harris & Engler represent buyers and sellers of commercial real estate in the Columbus, Delaware, and greater Central Ohio areas.  The commercial real estate buying and selling process is significantly different than the process of buying and selling residential real estate.  

With residential real estate, the sellers of property are required to make certain disclosures about the condition of the property.  This disclosure requirement is absent in the commercial real estate process - requiring a significant amount of due diligence on the part of the commercial real estate buyer.  In commercial real estate, the law presumes that both the buyer and the seller are "sophisticated parties."

Commercial Real Estate Environmental Issues

One of the biggest areas of concern for commercial real estate purchasers is that of protecting themselves against potential environmental cleanup liability.  The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) is a federal law imposing strict liability on commercial real property owners for costs of environmental contamination cleanup.  Basically, if someone purchases an old gas station for the purpose of turning it into a retail store, there may be significant environmental cleanup costs to remove the underground storage tanks in order to prepare the property.  Sometimes purchasers of commercial real property can be held liable for millions of dollars of site cleanup costs even if the purchase price was much less.  It does not matter when the environmental hazard was created, the current owner of the commercial real property can be held liable to clean it up.  Buyers of commercial real estate have the duty to make themselves aware of the potential environmental liability before closing on the deal.  The attorneys at Harris & Engler represent buyers and sellers of commercial real property in Columbus, Delaware, and the greater Central Ohio area. 

Attorneys to Ensure a Smooth Commercial Real Estate Closing

If you are looking for a commercial real estate Lawyer in the Columbus or Delaware County, Ohio areas, then call the law firm of Harris & Engler.  Generally, in a commercial real estate transaction the buyer will want to lay out a contract for as many contingencies as possible in order to let the buyer back out of the deal as close to the closing date as possible, in case it becomes necessary.  On the other hand, the seller of commercial real estate will want to close out as many contingencies as possible the nearer to the closing date it becomes.

Columbus Commercial Real Estate Closings

If you need an attorney for a commercial real estate closing in Columbus, Delaware, or elsewhere in Central Ohio, call an attorney at Harris & Engler at (614) 610-9988.