Massachusetts Real Estate Attorney

Buying or selling a home can be stressful – let us help guide you through the process

James A. Peterson applies extensive knowledge about real estate issues, property rights and finance to all areas of real estate law. With more than 35 years of experience, we can help you with:

  • Residential home purchases
  • Residential home sales
  • Real estate contracts
  • Commercial property sales transactions
  • Condominium law
  • Homeowners associations
  • Boundary and easement disputes
  • Title disputes

Real estate transaction attorney

From offer to sale, Attorney Peterson handles all aspects of buying and selling real estate, so that you can feel confident about a smooth and precise transaction. We can:

  • Draft or review your Purchase and Sale Agreement
  • Negotiate real estate agreements
  • Review your lending documents
  • Analyze your deal and rectify potential problems
  • Search and clear title
  • Conduct your real estate closing

Real estate negotiations

Some disputes are better solved outside of the courtroom. We negotiate to protect your interests. By retaining an experienced mediator to strategize during the contract negotiation process, you can often prevent disputes from arising at a later stage in the real estate transaction. This can save time, costs and frustration.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q. Should a buyer hire a professional home inspector? If so, what is the best time to conduct the home inspection?
A. The buyer should hire a professional home inspector to inspect the premises for structural defects, water, plumbing and electrical problems, the existence of termites and other pest, radon, urea formaldehyde foam insulation and lead paint, among other things. The best time for the home inspection to be conducted is after the buyer’s offer to purchase has been accepted by the seller and before the purchase and sale agreement has been executed.

Q. What documents is the seller required to bring to closing?

A. Among the documents the seller is required to bring to closing are a smoke detector certificate which can be obtained from the local fire department, final water bill which can be obtained from the local water department, a 6(d) certificate if the property is a condominium and a new deed transferring ownership to the buyer.

Q. Who does the closing attorney represent?
A. The closing attorney represents the buyer’s lender. Although the interests of the lender and the buyer are similar in many respects, in some respects these interests are conflicting and the buyer should not rely upon the lender’s attorney for legal advice

Contact an experienced real estate attorney for a free initial consultation.

Call James A. Peterson at 978-744-2450 or contact us online to schedule a free initial 30-minute consultation in our Salem office.