Jeffrey Avny Law Offices

DISCLAMER: These materials have been prepared by the law office of Jeffrey A. Avny for informational purposes only and are not legal advice.  This is general information only. No information posted here or materials provided are intended to constitute legal advice. The Law Office of Jeffrey A. Avny cannot guarantee the accuracy of posted information as each individual situation may vary.  Consult an attorney before buying or selling a home.

Buying Your Home:

Once you have found a home and have come to an agreed upon price with the seller you will sign a sales contract to purchase the real estate.  You will usually have five business days to have an attorney review the contract.  Therefore you should contact your attorney when you are ready to sign the contract, because after five business days you may not be able to change any terms of the contract or receive any reduction in price for property damage.

Property Inspections

It is a good idea to hire a professional certified home inspector to make sure that your new home is in safe condition and not in need of major repairs (new roof, new foundation, new electrical systems, etc.).  The cost of this should be between $200.00-$600.00 depending upon the size and location of your new home.  The sales contract should tell you how many days you have in order to have the inspection done.  You and your real estate agent should also have a final inspection of the home before closing.  You should be sure that the house was kept in the same condition it was in at the time of the original inspection. Normal day to day wear and tear is to be expected.  If any damage has been done your attorney can request additional funds be set aside at closing to cover the cost of the repairs.

Mortgage Broker

After contacting your attorney, you should be sure to check with your mortgage broker and find out what documents they still need from you.  Your closing can be delayed and you could lose your interest rates if you are slow to get information to the mortgage company.

Insurance and Utilities

You will need to purchase homeowners’ insurance and provide a one year prepaid receipt at the time of closing.  If you are buying a condominium the seller’s attorney should arrange for a new certificate of insurance from the condominium association.  Approximately two weeks before closing you should contact the telephone company as well as other utilities such as electricity, gas service, and cable TV.  Ask the post office to hold your mail there, do not forward your mail to the new address until after the closing has taken place.

Closing

As the closing date draws near you will want to stay in contact with your mortgage broker to insure that all documents have been received. Your attorney should provide you with exact closing figures before your closing.  These figures are usually available 48 hours prior to closing but may not be available until the day of closing.  The title companies will not take personal checks so you will need to be able to obtain Cashier’s check in order to purchase your home. Have the check made payable to yourself, and you can sign the check over to the Title company at the time of closing.  You will need to bring valid personal identification such as a current Driver’s license, State or Military ID, or current passport.

Call Jeffrey today for your consultation at:

1-708-373-9765