Real Estate Law

"Real estate law" is the name given to the branch of civil law that covers rights to possess, use, and enjoy land and the permanent man-made additions attached to it. This includes the capacity to hold interests in real property, permissible interests in real property, relations between owners, relations between owners and the community, landlord and tenant relations, the transfer of interests in real property, and real property financing, including deeds and mortgages.

Real estate transactions, such as purchases, sales and leases, are governed by a wide body of federal and state law, and the requirements established by state law often differ from state to state. 

Other matters that fall into the real estate law area are foreclosures, preparation of deeds and mortgages and problems with title to and claims against property.

Fees:  Our fees for Real Estate Law cases are calculated on an hourly basis, in quarter hour increments, at the rate of $200 per hour.  We also charge for filing fees and incidental costs and fees charged by professional persons such as court reporters, appraisers and accountants.  We don't usually charge for copies unless the job involves more than twenty or thirty pages.  Postage is handled in the same manner, so as long as the mailing is under $5.00, we absorb the cost.  Over $5.00 is charged to the client.

We usually require a one or two hour retainer plus the filing and cost for serving the papers in advance.  During our initial consultation, we can give you an estimate of the fees and costs and often can quote a flat rate for real estate law cases.