Ament Law Group, P.C.
Westmoreland County Attorneys serving clients in Real Estate, Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and Business Planning.
Real Estate Legal Services
Why You Need A Real Estate Attorney
One of the most expensive investments an individual or business will make is purchasing a home or commercial property which is why it is prudent to involve an experienced real estate attorney who can help you save time, money, and contribute to your overall peace of mind.
The attorneys at the Ament Law Group focuses on residential and commercial real estate transactions in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Butler, Washington, Armstrong, and Fayette counties. We know Pennsylvania real estate law inside out and make it our goal to protect our client at every stage of the process, from the initial listing to the closing – we have our client’s best interests in mind.
Saving You Time, Money And Headaches
Protecting the buyer: A seller’s agent is there to represent the seller, not the buyer. Keep in mind that they may not have your best interests in mind when trying to make the sale. As a buyer, you need someone who is dedicated to protecting your interests, not protecting the broker’s commission.
Minimizing risks for buyers
Our attorneys attempt to identify problems and explain risks and after reviewing the purchase agreement to establish appropriate safeguards, we then order and review the title report. Many brokers are affiliated with a title insurance company, which means they make a profit when you get your title insurance through that company. That may or may not be in your best interest. Some title companies will look for loopholes to avoid paying or defending claims. We are agents for Fidelity National Title Insurance, which we believe is among the best Title Insurance Agency in the market with a strong reputation of honoring their obligations should problem arise.
Settlement Services
All of our real estate attorneys are licensed Pennsylvania title insurance agents and work with the realtors and lenders to ensure a smooth real estate transaction. Click here to learn more about our Settlement Services.
Accurate legal advice
Brokers or agents will prepare agreements or addenda, but they are not lawyers. Many people rely on their real estate agents to help them when buying and selling property, but an agent may not be qualified to explain the legal details or ramifications of a transaction. We provide legally accurate information you can rely on, and we make sure the agreement or addendum does what they are supposed to do.
Removing barriers to the sale
Our real estate attorneys always review the title report to determine if there is anything unusual that may pose a risk to the sale. If we discover a problem — a lien or other impediment to a clear title — we can advise the buyer or work with the seller to address the problem before the sale. We can often persuade the title insurance company to remove or insure over the exception.
Protecting the seller
A real estate broker agreement generally provides for payment of commission even if there is no closing and may provide for an exclusive period as long as six months or a year. Brokers may try to claim a commission even after the listing agreement terminates. These clauses benefit the broker, but can be a risk for you if your broker is not performing well. Our real estate lawyers would be happy to review your listing agreement before you sign it to ensure that you understand your rights and obligations under the listing agreement.
Minimizing risks for sellers
We will review the proposed agreement of sale to be sure the terms of the agreement protect you from unlimited liability and that contingencies arising from inspection results or buyer actions are reasonable and limited.
No ugly surprises at closing
Our attorneys attend every real estate closing to ensure that no problems arise that would delay the sale. We do our best to explain all closing documents – we do not perform “here, sign this” closing. Also, if there is a last-minute change, we can help you negotiate that change and can draft appropriate language to insert into the documents.
For high-quality legal guidance and representation in your residential real estate matter, please call us at 724-733-3500 or complete our secure online form to contact a lawyer at the Ament Law Group.