Written by: Real Estate

Buyer Beware — It’s Your Right to Choose!

DO I NEED A LAWYER TO BUY OR SELL REAL ESTATE? With so much going on in the South Florida real estate market — whether you are putting in an offer to purchase property or accepting one — it can get quite overwhelming. Buyers and sellers often rely on their real estate agents to select a title company for them. But who do they really represent when the Realtor chose them? And whose interests are they really protecting?

Dealing with so many different individuals in the real estate contract — agents, brokers, appraisers, inspectors, loan officers — the one person that should never be excluded (and often is) is the real estate lawyer. If hired from the beginning, before you go under contract, this is the best way to ensure your transaction closes smoothly and you are protected every step of the way.

In Miami-Dade County, It’s the Buyer’s Right to Select the Title Company!

The most sound decision a buyer or seller can make is to choose a real estate lawyer that is also a title company and to hire them before going under contract. In fact, at Jacqueline A. Salcines, PA, we will review the contract for our real estate partners — whether Realtor, buyers or sellers — free of charge (even before submitting) to make sure it is prepared correctly. That is one of the few services that sets us apart.

Few know that in Miami-Dade County, it is always the buyer’s right to select the title company and it is against the law for the lender or broker to force the buyer to use the other party’s title company or one referred by the bank. It’s the buyer’s right to choose!

When you hire a real estate lawyer–owned title company, you are hiring the lawyer to provide peace of mind. We will (1) review your contract to make sure it protects your interests; (2) once under contract, hold the escrow deposit; (3) examine the title and make sure you are getting a free and clear title without liens or any judgments on it; (4) prepare the closing statement to confirm accuracy and no overcharges; and (5) close the transaction on time, with the attorney conducting the closing and explaining every document being signed.

While Florida is one of the few states that does not require title companies to be owned by an attorney, luckily a few exist. When you choose a title company that is also owned by an attorney, you are getting:

  • A stress-free closing experience
  • Protected deposits with monitored deadlines
  • Closing on time without delays
  • No title issues post-closing
  • Peace of mind throughout the transaction if any issue occurs

Celebrating 22 years in practice, at the Law Offices of Jacqueline A. Salcines, PA, Attorney Salcines is not only a real estate lawyer and title agent; she is also an accountant with over 25 years’ experience closing real estate transactions in Florida. We provide peace of mind for our clients, whether you are buying or selling. Give us a call at 305.669.5280. Don’t give up your right to choose!

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Tags: , , , Last modified: May 10, 2021