Closing Representation
A closing is the final step in a real estate transaction. At closing the deed to title is finalized and transferred from the seller to the buyer. Mortgage terms, title insurance, and closing costs are also confirmed and paid. Once all the necessary signatures are obtained, funds are transferred, and the proper documents are recorded, the buyer may take possession of the property.

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, solid legal representation is vital. Understanding the process from beginning to end is important, as is knowing the meaning of the documents you sign. The entire experience can be less stressful with proper and appropriate legal advice.

Homestead Advice
A Homestead is a type of protection for a person’s residence in the form of a document called a “Declaration of Homestead”. The form is notarized when you sign, then recored at the Registry of Deeds in the county where the property is located, referencing the title/deed to the property. It allows homeowners in Massachusetts to protect their property up to $500,000.00 of the value of their primary residence.

Refinancing and Property Transfer
Refinancing refers to the replacement of an existing debt obligation with a debt obligation bearing different terms. The most common consumer refinance is for a home mortgage. Someone may refinance to reduce interest rate/costs, extend the repayment time, pay off other debt(s), change interest rate fluctuations (paying off a loan with a variable-rate and refinancing with a fixed-rate loan), or provide money for investment, consumption, or the payment of a dividend. Refinancing is generally used to improve overall cash availability.

Title Insurance
Title insurance is protection against loss arising from problems connected to the title to your property. Before you purchased your home, it may have gone through several ownership changes, and the land on which it is located went through many more. There may be a weak link at any point in that “chain” of ownership that could surface to cause difficulty. For example, someone along the way may have forged a signature in transferring title. There may be unpaid real estate taxes or other liens. If these issues arise after you own the property, title insurance covers the insured party for claims and legal fees.