Lately I have been receiving many calls on purchasers or sellers who are not represented by a realtor that want help in closing a real estate deal. On a standard transaction I will draft the initial offer and any counteroffers. I’ll then draft a Purchase & Sale Agreement along with all the necessary disclosures. After negotiating and finalizing the terms of the deal I’ll set up an escrow account at a local title office. After the due diligence is completed (the inspection passes, the financing contingency is met, etc.) we’ll arrange a time to close the deal. I can help with anything else that may pop up such as repair requests, drafting of deeds, etc.
I have also closed many seller financed deals. Mostly these follow a deal as described above but the seller will hold a promissory note and deed of trust (instruments that I draft as well). Another way of closing such a deal is through a real estate contract. This is where the seller keeps the property in their name until the buyer pays it off pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The contract is recorded against the land to preserve the parties’ rights and notify others of the parties’ deal. At the end of the transaction we’ll draft a fulfillment deed and transfer title to the property. These types of contracts are often used when the purchase cannot qualify for or wishes to avoid traditional financing on the property.