Sacramento Real Estate Attorneys and Sacramento Realtors
StoneCrest Law Firm works hand-in-hand with their affiliated real estate brokerage, StoneCrest Realty. When you hire StoneCrest Realty and their Realtors to represent you if you are buying or selling, you work with us both as real estate agents and as attorneys – that’s our two-in-one promise! As Sacramento Realtors and attorneys we provide complete legal representation that you can count on, because your interests are protected above everything else. Protect yourself, use a attorney to buy or sell your home.
We have absolutely been able to achieve results for our sellers that would not have been able to be achieved had an attorney not been involved in the transaction. It does make a difference. Real estate agents who are not educated and licensed as a California attorney are not legally able to give legal advice (nor should they). As a result they often don’t even know when there is an issue at hand that should require the advice or review of an attorney and so the seller or buyer is the one who is negatively affected. The consequences can be disastrous.
Many Realtors in this market are claiming to be experts, specialists, leaders, etc, but you will be hard pressed to find another real estate firm who has even a fraction of the experience we do (we tried and we can’t find one!).
Our Co-owner and real estate Broker is also a licensed California Attorney and CEO of StoneCrest Law Firm. She has been involved in real estate since the beginning of the downturn as well as practicing in all areas regarding financial and mortgage related issues including mortgage issues, bankruptcy, settlements and negotiations and general real estate advice and disputes.
She unfortunately has seen situations on a weekly basis of homeowners who already completed a sale in years past using a real estate agent who appeared to be solely focused on their commission and as such advised their client improperly and in turn the client ended up being harmed. For example in a short sale situation she has seen numerous times where the real estate agent had the seller sign a short sale approval only to later (months or even years) find out they are being sued by their lender because the language in the short sale approval that they signed with the assistance of their real estate agent, allowed them to do just that.
They trusted their Realtor, and now many of them are suing those same Realtors. Don’t end up as one of them. Get the right representation the first time, you just get one shot at this. This may mean that you are not able to use your friend, family member, or neighbor to handle your real estate transaction but remember this is a process wrought with pitfalls and you need the right people to help you navigate it from beginning to end. Someone who understands the law and can write a legal demand letter if necessary and advise you on all of the important contracts you will be required to sign.
Please see our results page for more information and to see specific examples of the exact approval letters we have obtained for our clients who needed/wanted to sell their home in this market as a short sale, despite being upside down as more than 42% of the homeowners in our area still are (data from June 2013).
Free Attorney Consultation
All of our sellers receive a free attorney consultation when they call in to inquire about selling their property in order to properly assess their situation and legal needs. Likewise all of our buyers receive the same legal review and advice regarding the documents, contracts, disclosures, addendum’s etc associated with a purchase of a home.
For our clients who have properties that are underwater the free attorney consultation will always discuss taxation issues, liability issues, C.C.P. 726 (one-action rule), C.C..P 580, ramifications of foreclosure and bankruptcy if the seller is looking at that as an option to deal with other debts, etc. Also the new laws that effect the client will be discussed.
Our attorneys always do a thorough initial interview to understand our client’s situation, which includes whether the loans are purchase money, recourse or non-recourse loans, who are the lenders and investors, how far underwater the client is, whether there are second mortgages and whether the second mortgages will make deals, whether taxes might be owed, and they will come up with some options for you to consider. They can assure you that your short sale or other real estate issues will be handled correctly, the proper documents signed, and your legal issues dealt with properly. Their job is to look out for your best interest and they have the expertise, education, smarts and knowledge to do exactly that.
2 Big Differences Between Realtors and Lawyers For Real Estate
We may be Realtors but, first and foremost, we are real estate lawyers. As lawyers, we are able to – and legally required to – provide representation to our clients that is far more sophisticated than what you’ll get with a real estate agent who is not also a real estate lawyer.
1. Duties to Clients; Protecting a Clients’ Interest.
The vast majority of real estate agents are ethical and do their best. But by law, their duties to clients are limited.
On the other hand, lawyers have clear and unequivocal duties to their clients that cannot be compromised. And lawyers certainly won’t (and can’t) represent both the buyer and seller in any buy/sell transaction. The client’s interests must be paramount, without any question or doubt.
Who would you rather have on your side?
2. Legal Counsel and Advice
Real estate agents are only authorized to fill in pre-printed forms that were drafted and approved by a lawyer.
Agents are not supposed to provide legal counsel to a client, so they’re not authorized (or trained) to explain these same contracts and legal terms to you. Have a unique situation and need some language added to a contract? They’re not authorized to do that either.
When it comes to title issues, agents are not equipped to help you either. They can’t give clients any opinion on the condition of title or the significance of the information in a preliminary title report and how it may affect you. That puts BOTH buyer and seller at risk that could come back to bite you months and years down the road.
Lawyers are Lawyers Because We Have Been Trained and Authorized to Practice Law
Our education requirements consist of a four-year college degree plus a three-year graduate degree from law school plus studying and preparing for months to pass a grueling 3 day bar exam, widely known as the toughest bar exam in the nation. It’s a lot of work and dedication and on top of that, we then have the experience of assisting thousands of clients with their legal issues.
If you have a question about your contract, we can answer it. If you are concerned about an issue or aspect of the transaction, we can deal with it. If you are worried about a defect in title, we can address it. Can your non-lawyer real estate agent do any of that? Simply put, no they cannot. If they were cautious and competent (and not all are) they would have to advise you to seek out and pay for an attorney to get up to speed on the matter and review the documents, all of which would cost you money and cause delay.
You’re looking at a purchase worth at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s only common sense to hire lawyers for real estate who are able, authorized, and obligated to fully protect your legal interests.
Advantages In Using An Attorney/Real Estate Broker To Help You Sell Your House
Attorneys who are also real estate agents are often referred to as “super agents” or “attorney agents.” Friendships or family relationships with real estate agents are one thing but, in the end, if you are selling your house you are probably selling the largest and most important asset that you have. Selling your house is a financial decision and you want to make sure that the real estate agent that you retain to assist you is more than capable of handling any issues that might arise during the transaction, also if something goes wrong with your agent/friend/relative due to their lack of experience having a personal relationship with your real estate agent can make that relationship awkward.
Real estate transactions are extremely complicated. While many of the contracts and forms are standard fill in the blank forms, conveying a true understanding of what is being agreed to in those documents and ensuring that all parties live up to the responsibilities created in the documents is not such an easy task. Short sales are even more complicated and require the real estate professionals to not only be experienced with normal real estate rules and regulations but also require the ability to navigate through a world of intense negotiations with lenders. Attorney Agents are well worth the search due to their ability to overcome obstacles and open doors and get things done that regular real estate professionals cannot.
In short, an Attorney Agent would be better equipped to handle the aforementioned issues that might arise. Of course these issues might not arise, but if they do, wouldn’t you rather have someone that is better able to handle them representing you? If you have the choice between an Attorney Agent and a regular real estate professional it is our recommendation and many others share our opinion that you should definitely choose the Attorney Agent.
Contact Our Experienced Sacramento Real Estate Attorneys and Sacramento Realtors
We are experienced Sacramento Real Estate Attorneys and Sacramento Realtors. We are a unique and powerful combination and can help you with your real estate legal issues. We have helped thousands of people with pressing real estate issues find solutions and relief through the use of short sales, deed in lieu of foreclosures, strategic foreclosures, mortgage debt settlements and legal real estate review and advice.
Our real estate attorneys have achieved proven results and can give you the great legal advice and strategy needed to get you the results you want. Contact us today to schedule your complimentary attorney consultation by clicking HERE or by calling 916-999-1376. We look forward to helping you with all of your Sacramento real estate needs.
