Attorney-Led Title &
Settlement Services

For home purchases, sales, and refinances, we review title, help resolve title issues, arrange title insurance, and coordinate signing, funds, and recording. Read more about title searches, title insurance, and settlement.

We provide title, escrow, and settlement services for commercial real estate transactions. We also work with commercial and private lenders on title and closing requirements and can prepare loan documents.

We prepare and record deeds, draft purchase and sale contracts, and handle closings involving estates, trusts, and businesses. An attorney admitted in the relevant jurisdiction handles the legal drafting.

We review public records to confirm ownership and look for liens or other claims affecting the property. If a paid-off mortgage still appears without a recorded release, we help address it before closing.

An owner’s policy protects the owner against covered title problems. A lender’s policy protects the lender’s interest in the property. We arrange both types of coverage and can help you understand what the policy covers and what it excludes.

We coordinate documents and signing, hold and distribute funds according to the closing instructions, and arrange recording. We work with commercial and private lenders on title and closing requirements.

We arrange mobile closings nationwide, including at homes and offices. Video notarization may also be an option, depending on the applicable rules, documents, and lender requirements. Identity verification is required. Contact our team early so we can confirm what will work for your closing.

We prepare and arrange recording for deeds that transfer property into a trust, add a spouse, or correct errors. Our attorneys review the ownership documents and transfer requirements. An attorney admitted in the relevant jurisdiction handles the legal drafting.

Tell us about the property, price, timing, and any conditions you’ve agreed on. An attorney admitted in the relevant jurisdiction can put those terms in writing.

We review the ownership records and documents that show who can sign. We work with the parties, their attorneys, and the title insurer to address the closing requirements, including for property held by an LLC.

We request account statements, confirm amounts due, and follow up on approvals needed for closing.

We prepare documents for commercial and private lenders based on the agreed loan terms and the transaction’s requirements. An attorney admitted in the relevant jurisdiction handles the drafting.

Tell us as soon as you start planning the sale. Let us know where the owner lived when they died, where the estate was opened, and whether it’s still open. Flag it early if the estate was opened outside the state where the property is located, or if you’re unsure who can sign.

What to send. If you have them, send the current deed, death certificate, will, and any court papers appointing the person who can act for the estate. Include any filings made in the state where the property is located. We’ll review who can sign and let you know what else we need. Ask us for a secure way to send the documents.

The loan may have been paid off even though the release, the document that clears the mortgage from the property records, is missing. Tell us early if you know about an old loan or home equity line, especially if the lender changed names or went out of business.

What to send. Send any payoff confirmation, paid-in-full letter, recorded release, or closing statement from the sale or refinance that paid off the loan. If you have an old loan document that shows when the loan was due, send that too. We’ll compare what you send with the property records and let you know what’s needed for closing. Ask us for a secure way to send anything with loan or account numbers.

Send us the survey you have. Tell us early if a fence, addition, garage, or driveway has been added or moved since it was done. Also tell us if a neighbor has raised a concern about the property line or about who can use a driveway. We’ll review the survey and what has changed to see whether an updated survey is needed and whether the issue affects title coverage.

What to send. Send the full survey, including its date and any notes. If there’s a concern, include any photos, written notices, or agreements you already have that show what’s in dispute.

Tell us early if a judgment was paid, settled, or released, especially if it was recorded in more than one county. Paying a judgment and clearing it from the records are separate steps. We’ll check where it was recorded and whether the paperwork shows it was cleared there.

What to send. Send the case number, any court order or filed document showing the judgment was satisfied, and any proof of payment or settlement you have.

Contact us before you bid if possible, especially if you plan to use financing. If you’ve already won, tell us the payment deadline right away. We’ll review the auction terms, whether the sale needs court approval, and whether any mortgages or other claims could still affect the property.

What to send. Send the auction notice and terms, the signed bid or purchase agreement, and the court case number if you have one. Include any sale report, court approval, or lien notices you’ve received.

Tell us before the deed is drafted, especially if you’re buying the home now. One option you may hear about is a life estate deed. Tell your attorney if you want to keep the ability to sell or refinance later, and ask how the proposed deed would affect those choices.

What to send. Send the current deed or, if you’re buying, the purchase agreement. Include any proposed deed your attorney has prepared. Ask us for a secure way to share estate planning documents if we need them.

Yes. Send it when you first contact us, particularly if you’re selling or refinancing. Tell us if the property changed owners, moved into a trust or LLC, or was split or combined with another parcel after the policy was issued. We’ll check whether the policy matches the property and whether a reduced rate is available.

What to send. Send the full policy, including the pages that list the property and any exceptions or changes to coverage. If you have a deed recorded after the policy was issued, send that too.

It can let you put off paying federal tax on the gain when you exchange investment or business real estate for other qualifying real estate. The gain is generally carried forward into the new property, so the tax may become due when you sell it later.

Both properties must be held for investment or business use. A rental house, commercial building, or investment land may qualify. Your personal home and property held mainly for resale generally do not. Ask your tax adviser about mixed-use or vacation properties.

No. “Like-kind” is broad for real estate. For example, a rental house may be exchanged for a commercial building if both meet the requirements. U.S. real estate and foreign real estate are not like-kind.

We prepare the exchange documents, hold the exchange funds under the agreement, and coordinate their use for the replacement purchase. We work with you, your tax adviser, and the closing teams to coordinate the sale and purchase.

We confirm our eligibility before accepting an exchange. Routine title insurance or escrow services alone do not disqualify us. Other prior work, such as legal representation unrelated to the exchange within the two years before the sale, may require a different intermediary. See Treasury Regulation 1.1031(k)-1, paragraphs (g)(4) and (k)(2).

Before your sale closes. Contact us while you are planning the sale so the exchange agreement and closing instructions are ready. Taking the proceeds yourself and later deciding to reinvest generally will not qualify as a deferred exchange.

You generally have 45 calendar days after your sale closes to identify replacement property. You must complete the purchase by the earlier of 180 days after the sale or the deadline for your federal tax return for the year of the sale, including extensions. The 180 days includes the first 45; you do not get 180 more days afterward.

Send a signed written identification to your intermediary or another permitted recipient before the deadline. Clearly describe each property, usually by street address or legal description. A conversation or an unsigned list is not enough.

Yes. The usual rule allows up to three properties, regardless of value. Identifying more involves additional value or purchase requirements. We can explain the identification options before you submit your list.

No. You cannot receive or have unrestricted access to the exchange funds. The exchange agreement limits when funds can be released. Ask us before arranging any withdrawal, loan, or pledge involving those funds.

Keeping cash can make part of your gain taxable. To defer all the gain, you generally need to reinvest all net exchange proceeds and acquire property of equal or greater value, with debt and closing costs also taken into account. Have your tax adviser check the numbers before closing.

Not necessarily. You may be able to put in more of your own cash instead of borrowing as much. Paying off debt without replacing it with new debt or additional cash can make part of your gain taxable, even if you take no cash out. Have your tax adviser review the financing and closing figures.

Tell us right away. Before the 45-day deadline, you may be able to change your written identification. After that, you generally must buy a property you already identified and still meet the purchase deadline. If you cannot complete the exchange, the sale may be taxable. The agreement and tax rules determine when your funds can be returned.

That may be possible through a separately structured reverse exchange. It requires advance planning and different arrangements. Contact us before buying; a standard deferred exchange cannot simply be run backward.

Yes. A qualifying exchange is generally reported on IRS Form 8824, even if no gain is currently taxable. Give your tax preparer the exchange agreement, identification notice, closing statements, and property records. State tax treatment may differ.