This is the eighth in a series of tips on buying and selling real estate:

Buying and selling real estate has become very specialized the last few years. So when looking for a lawyer/notary, make sure it's a real estate lawyer/notary - one who spends most of the time closing real estate deals.


And don't wait until after the deal is struck before choosing a lawyer; then you lose the valuable input he or she can provide scrutinizing the offer before your pen hits the paper. Since your lawyer's role is part advisor, part confidant and part nursemaid, a good rapport with your lawyer is a must.

How can you find a good real estate lawyer? Ask friends, family, neighbours and co-workers who they've used in the past; and get several names from your realtor or banker, too.

Never choose a real estate lawyer/notary just because their fees are the lowest. As with any other professional, quality and experience are the key, not just price.

Tip No. 1: Buy First Or Sell First?
Tip No. 2: The Advantages Of A Resale Home
Tip No. 3: The Marketing Plan
Tip No. 4: Getting Interest On Your Deposit
Tip No. 5: What Are The "Usual Adjustments"?
Tip No. 6: Insuring Your Mortgage
Tip No. 7: Home Insurance
Tip No. 9: The Offer To Purchase
Tip No. 10: Home Inspections
Tip No. 11: Surveys
Tip No. 12: The Counter Offer
Tip No. 13: Conditional Offers
Tip No. 14: Why Buy A Brand New Home?
Tip No. 15: Deposits - A Vital Part Of Every Deal


Excerpted from Alan Silverstein's Forty Plus One Real Estate Tips. Mr. Silverstein is a Toronto lawyer, author and broadcaster who devotes most of his practice to residential real estate and mortgage financing issues.
This page is provided as a service to the reader.  It is not an advertisement for, nor an endorsement of, Alan Silverstein.  The views expressed are those of the author.