No Real Estate Attorney??

I think you gave your client good advice

Your Friend in Charlottesville

Diane-I wonder what percentage of closings happen with and without a real estate attorney?  That would be interesting to see

Diana, In our area it is very rare for someone to hire a lawyer, but in todays enviroment if someone mentions it how could you disagree.

Diana,

Sounds like your mortgage person isn't aware that in Northern NJ, attorneys typically handle the closings.  In other areas, it is more common to have a title company do the close.  Good thing you know the importance of correct representation!

Pretty stupid advice from a so called professional, and in this state, an attorney has to do and/or oversee the closing.

I know I am responding very late, I just joined the other day,

I wish real estate agents here were like you, and that transactions were done by attorneys here. I have NEVER had a client hire me that didn't tell me that their agent told them NOT to use an attorney, and be adamant about it to the point the client thought there was something really wrong about it. The ones that listen don't have title explained to them, so they don't know what they are taking title subject to. The settlement companies are frequently owned by brokers and agents. They might explain a few of the mortgage documents but it is rare for them to actually explain the title policy and what is in it.

The ones that don't listen sometimes call me a few months after closing to ask why they can't build a pool, a deck, why nobody told them they have an easement across their property or someone else has the right to access their property from a shared driveway, or why nobody told them their shared well could run dry and the owner of the property the well is on won't fix the problem. The agents point to the settlement agents, who point to exceptions in their title policies. "It's right there in black and white."