Legal Services

No Extra-Cost Consulting and Review for Buyers and Sellers

When you purchase or sell a home or other property, you will be asked to sign a bewildering array of documents, all having potentially significant legal consequences.  As an attorney with experience in real estate and land use law, I understand these documents and can explain them to you and make sure they are negotiated with your best interests in mind.

I also provide no-extra cost legal consulting for purchase and sale issues that can be addressed within the ordinary scope of buyer or seller representation.  These may include issues such as deciding how you will hold title to your property, understanding your title report, addressing defects in title, making sure that disclosures are legally adequate, understanding the effect of implied warranties and required disclosures on REO and other "as-is" sales, and dealing with disputes related to easements, encroachments, or boundary lines.

Fee-Based Legal Consulting

I provide fee-based legal consulting for purchase and sale issues that require attention beyond the ordinary scope of buyer or seller representation.  These may include issues such as allocating the risk of loss between buyer and seller, determining whether the intended use of a property is legally feasible (considering zoning, code compliance, and other legal restrictions), structuring the form of payment (including seller financing and assumption of existing loans), dealing with soil contamination and possible liability under state and federal law, and resolving disputes related to physical encroachments and boundary lines.

I also provide fee-based legal consulting for all other issues related to real estate and land use law, such as dealing with a property at risk of foreclosure (including modifying an existing loan to keep payments affordable, conducting a "short sale" to mitigate the impact of foreclosure on credit standing, or outright challenging a foreclosure proceeding), resolving a trespass or encroachment (understanding how a long-term trespass or encroachment can ripen into a permanent right of use or possession), owning or transferring an easement (dealing with issues such as responsibility for maintenance and repair, permissible uses, and liability), ensuring compliance with local codes and zoning laws, and ensuring compliance with environmental laws such as CEQA and federal and state laws protecting endangered species and wetlands.