Buying or selling a home is both a major financial decision and a personal one. Whether you are purchasing your first home, selling a longtime family property, relocating, or investing in residential real estate, you want to understand the deal you are making and know that your legal interests are protected.
At Ligris, our residential real estate attorneys guide buyers and sellers through the legal side of the transaction with clear explanations, responsive communication, and practical advice. We review and negotiate the contracts, address title and due diligence issues, coordinate with the other professionals involved, and help you move toward closing with confidence.
Every property is different. So is every transaction. Our job is to understand the details that matter in yours, identify issues early, and make the legal process easier to navigate.
Understand the Deal Before You Sign
The Offer to Purchase and Purchase and Sale Agreement establish important rights, obligations, deadlines, and contingencies. Understanding those terms before you sign can prevent surprises and preserve options later in the transaction.
We review and negotiate purchase agreements, explain the legal consequences of key provisions, and work with you to make sure the documents accurately reflect the transaction you intend to enter.
Know What You Are Buying
Finding the right property is exciting, but the legal due diligence still matters. Title defects, liens, easements, condominium restrictions, recording issues, or other matters can affect ownership, financing, future use, or the ability to sell the property later.
Our attorneys review title and other legal due diligence, identify and help resolve title issues, examine condominium documents when applicable, and explain issues that may affect the property. The goal is to help you understand what you are buying before those issues become your responsibility.
Get to Closing Prepared
Closing is where the contract, title work, financing, funds, and legal documents come together. It is also where buyers and sellers are asked to sign documents with important legal and financial consequences.
We prepare or review deeds and closing documents, address outstanding title or transaction issues, coordinate with lenders and real estate professionals, and explain what you are signing. Our goal is for you to reach closing informed, prepared, and confident that the transaction documents reflect the deal.
Understand the Role of Your Real Estate Attorney
In Massachusetts and Connecticut, attorneys play a central role in residential real estate transactions. Real estate agents are an important part of the process, but their role is different from the role of legal counsel.
Your real estate agent can help you find or market a property and negotiate business terms. Your attorney protects your legal interests by reviewing and negotiating contracts, addressing title and due diligence issues, preparing legal documents, and explaining the legal consequences of the transaction.
Ligris Residential Real Estate Services Include:
- Reviewing agreements with real estate brokers and salespeople
- Reviewing, negotiating, and preparing Offers to Purchase
- Reviewing, negotiating, and preparing Purchase and Sale Agreements
- Researching and resolving property title issues
- Conducting title and other legal due diligence
- Reviewing condominium documents and ownership restrictions
- Advising on condominium-related ownership considerations
- Arranging title insurance
- Preparing deeds and other transactional instruments
- Reviewing and explaining closing documents
- Coordinating with lenders, real estate agents, title professionals, and other transaction participants
- Answering legal questions throughout the transaction
Why Ligris for Residential Real Estate?
Most people do not buy or sell real estate often. We do. Our attorneys stay involved from the initial offer through contract negotiations, due diligence, title, financing coordination, and closing so you have a legal resource available when questions or issues arise.
We combine close attention to the details of the transaction with clear, practical communication. Because residential closings involve wire instructions, financial data, identity information, and other sensitive materials, Ligris’s SOC 2 Type II compliance also reinforces the security-conscious processes we bring to modern real estate transactions.
Multi-State Residential Mortgage Closing Capability
In addition to representing residential buyers and sellers, Ligris handles residential mortgage closings in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Through its sister company, ACES Title Agency, title and closing services are also available in New York and Florida. This broader footprint allows lenders and transaction partners to work with a coordinated closing platform across multiple states.
FAQs
Do I need a real estate attorney to buy or sell a home?
Attorney involvement varies by state and transaction. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, attorneys play a central role in residential conveyancing. A real estate attorney can provide legal advice that a real estate agent cannot, including reviewing and negotiating contracts, addressing title issues, preparing legal documents, and explaining the legal consequences of the transaction.
What does a real estate attorney do when buying a home?
A buyer’s attorney may review and negotiate the Offer to Purchase and Purchase and Sale Agreement, conduct or review title and other legal due diligence, review condominium documents when applicable, address title issues, coordinate with the lender and other professionals, and review the documents required for closing.
What does a real estate attorney do when selling a home?
A seller’s attorney typically reviews and negotiates transaction documents, addresses title issues, prepares the deed and other necessary documents, coordinates with the buyer’s attorney and other professionals, and reviews closing documents to help complete the transaction properly.
When should I hire a real estate attorney?
As early as possible – ideally before signing an Offer to Purchase or other binding agreement. Early legal review can help you understand the obligations you are taking on, preserve negotiating options, and identify issues before they become more difficult to address.
What is a Purchase and Sale Agreement?
A Purchase and Sale Agreement is the more comprehensive contract governing the real estate transaction. It typically addresses the purchase price, closing date, title, property condition, representations, contingencies, and the parties’ respective obligations.
Do I need an attorney if I’m working with a real estate agent?
Yes, when legal representation is appropriate or required for the transaction. Real estate agents and attorneys serve different roles. Your agent assists with the business and practical aspects of the deal, while your attorney provides legal advice, negotiates legal documents, addresses title issues, and protects your legal interests.
Does Ligris represent both buyers and sellers?
Yes. Ligris represents both buyers and sellers in residential real estate transactions, subject to applicable conflict-of-interest rules, and tailors its advice to the client’s role and objectives in the transaction.
Where does Ligris handle residential mortgage closings and title services?
Ligris handles residential mortgage closings in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Through its sister company, ACES Title Agency, title and closing services are also available in New York and Florida.