Real Estate Law
Real Estate Legal Services In NYC & New York
Are You Working With The Right Attorney For Your NYC And New York State Real Estate Transactions?

New York Real Estate transactions can often get very complex and difficult to navigate successfully when you plan to buy or sell property. Having the right counsel with experience and good judgment to guide you as you go through the process is critical to having a successful Real Estate deal.
The Law Office of H. Rebecca Chan, PLLC, provides stellar legal services for Real Estate transactions – Residential and Commercial – in all 5 boroughs of New York City ( Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx), as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties of Long Island, and Westchester County.
H. Rebecca Chan provides the highest level of quality service based on experience and knowledge gained from two decades of real estate practice and a first-hand background in real estate and business investments in the New York market.
H. Rebecca Chan has a deep understanding of the investment value in Real Estate and knows all about professionally getting the deal done.
Besides her professional skills, Rebecca’s intuition and empathy allow her to understand her clients’ specific requirements in driving successful negotiations in complicated situations.
This understanding and expertise help her accommodate and appeal to a wide range of buyers while providing valuable information to sellers.
The Law Pertaining To Real Estate
Real Estate law is the area of law that governs buying, selling, and transferring co-op share interests, condominiums, premises that include both building(s) and the land, land only, or long-term land leases. It’s the law that governs how people acquire and transfer property and what they can do with the property that they own.
There are many different aspects of Real Estate law like deeds, titles, purchase financing, refinancing, CEMA refinancing, taxes, and estate planning. The specifics of how these laws apply can vary from state to state.
Why Do I Need A Real Estate Attorney?
The procedure for contracting to buy a home or an investment property in New York differs from that in many other states.
Unlike many other states, when a Buyer makes an offer to purchase a home or Real Estate investment property in New York and the Seller accepts the offer, nothing legally prevents either side from walking away, regardless of the reason.
Buyer and Seller are not actually legally bound to close the real property transaction until the Buyer’s attorney deposits the down payment, usually 10% of the purchase price, and provides the Seller’s Attorney with a fully executed contract.
Once those two steps are completed, parties are deemed to be “in contract”. The contract can be viewed as a road map, explaining the parties’ obligations on the way to a “closing” at which the actual sale will be concluded.
Although some states don’t require parties to hire an attorney, it is crucial to retain a competent, knowledgeable, and experienced Real Estate attorney to represent your purchase or sale interest in New York City and New York State, as a whole.
The most minor mistakes in the contract negotiation process; the review and retrieval of documents to clear open violations, judgments, and liens; or the mishandling of the matter up to the closing can risk the loss of thousands of dollars, your entire contract down payment, or even more.
In some cases, however, buyers or sellers who try to wriggle their way out of a Real Estate sales contract want to do so for more practical reasons: the buyer has found a better house at a better price; the seller has found a buyer willing to pay more money; or one or the other has simply changed his or her mind.
Regardless of whether it is the buyer or seller who is in breach of the contract, it is generally a court that will end up as the final arbiter of the dispute and the most simple case can take months to years to resolve.
It is often more economical for the parties to work out their differences themselves because both sides end up paying exorbitant legal fees with no guarantee which way the decision will go by the judge.
The more detailed and clear the contract terms are, the better the chance that the Judge will interpret the outcome in your favor, limiting ambiguity and uncertainty of the decision. A good attorney will draft clear, unambiguous contracts to protect your interests.
What Can A Real Estate Lawyer Do For Me?
Buying and selling real estate is a very complicated endeavor. There are many laws and regulations that guide these transactions.
A Real Estate attorney will make sure that the contract terms drafted for a transaction are working in your best interests, but still reasonable that the deal closes expeditiously.
For the purchase of a Co-op or a Condominium apartment, a thorough Real Estate Attorney will also do a due diligence review and provide a risk assessment summary.
The review and the summary are to make sure the client is fully informed of any restrictions or adverse conditions that may impact the value of the property in question for sale or purchase, or its ability to be sold or used after a purchase.
Some of those flagged restrictions or issues include, but are not limited to: knowing whether there have been pest infestations, toxic mold, recurring water damage, illegal construction/renovation, open violations, outstanding liens/judgments, noise/odor complaints, poor financial management, excessive maintenance increases or imposition of assessments, and the list goes on. The due diligence review not only identifies something that has happened in the building, but more importantly, how the issue was handled and resolved.
Representation should also include reviewing the loan documents; advising the client what fees and protocols are customary; fees and tax savings clients may obtain; and advising what bank charges a client should be aware of.
The bottom line is that a good real estate attorney will ensure that you get a good deal and that your interests are protected.
What Real Estate Attorney Services Do You Provide?
The Law Office of H. Rebecca Chan, PLLC, represents Buyers, Sellers, and Lenders in Real Estate transactional matters. We offer the following services:
- Purchase or sale of residential properties (Coops, condominiums, one to multiple family dwellings)
- Purchase or sale of commercial properties (mixed-use buildings, 6+ family dwellings, strip malls, commercial condominiums, warehouses, garages, office units or buildings)
- Estate Purchase or Sale (including Estate administration)
- 1031 Exchanges (to defer capital gain taxes)
- Private Offering Real Estate Investments
- Review and Drafting Real Estate related documents (interfamily transfers, intercompany/partnership property transfers, formation of entities/partnership, preparation of Operating Agreements, By-laws, Notes and Mortgages)
- Lender Representation and Refinancing for Owners (including consolidation of mortgages – CEMA)
CONTRACT AND BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS – representing Landlords, Tenants, Assignors, or Assignees
- Residential and Commercial leasing and subleasing
- Existing Business and/or Lease Assignments/Transfers
- Surrendering of Leases
- Formation of Business/Partnership entities and preparation of supporting business agreements
What Should I Look For In A Lawyer Handling My Real Estate Affairs?
First, you want to have a Real Estate attorney who is experienced, has a reputable track record, and completely understands the local market and all the intricacies involved in closing deals in that market. In this instance, New York City (5 boroughs – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx ), Nassau County and Suffolk County in Long Island, and Westchester County in the state of New York.
Real Estate laws and the minutiae of closing on co-ops, condos, townhouses, etc., differ from place to place. Experience with all the little details that can potentially trip you up and mess up a transaction is crucial.
The Law Office of H. Rebecca Chan, PLLC has been closing deals on all kinds of New York property for over two decades. The firm thoroughly understands the ins and outs of New York Real Estate transactions and brings that experience to bear for all clients.
It’s also important to work with an attorney that has your interests firmly in mind and not that of any other party – such as the buyer or seller on the other end of the deal, or the broker. Don’t pick a Real Estate lawyer whose loyalties might be to the broker who referred the deal to them, or the seller or buyer on the other side, and not to you who they are supposed to be representing.
Situations like these do happen. You want an attorney that is actively and solely looking out for your own best interests in the deal.
Finally, you want to be working with an attorney that will give your case the personal attention and oversight it deserves. H. Rebecca Chan is intimately familiar with every single deal that comes through and leaves her office, and she attends all closings for Real Estate transactions personally.
The Law Office of H. Rebecca Chan, PLLC, represents a diverse group of individuals and small business owners, as well as large name brand lenders. The firm provides to every client the same commitment to personalized attention and white-glove services, all at very affordable rates for exemplary legal services.
Where Is Your Law Firm Based And Where Do You Service Clients?
The Law Office of H. Rebecca Chan is located in Manhattan, New York City.
The firm is licensed to provide real estate legal services in the state of New York.
What Are The Costs And Fees For Your Real Estate Legal Services At Your NYC Practice?
Attorney fees for Real Estate deals can vary based on the type of property you’re buying or selling, and the complexity of the deal.
Previously owned homes, co-ops and condos are usually more straightforward transactions and typically would incur lower fees.
With new developments, deals involving 1031 exchanges, estate matters, simultaneous purchase and sale deals, some types of commercial deals or when buying property as a commercial entity like an LLC or between partners, for example, the complexity of the deal increases and so do the costs.
However, overall, legal fees will typically be a very small fraction of all the costs incurred in the process of buying and selling Real Estate.
At the Law Office of H. Rebecca Chan PLLC, we provide the most cost-effective legal services for our Real Estate clients and make sure that for any fees you pay, you get even more in value.
Our rates are affordable, and we do our best to provide you as much savings as possible in every way we can.
Talk with us today to see how we can help you with your Real Estate legal needs.
Does The Law Office Of H. Rebecca Chan, PLLC Provide Free Consultations For Real Estate Legal Services?
Yes, we provide free consultations to all prospective Real Estate clients.
We do this to get to know you and understand your needs and to ensure that we can provide you with the legal representation you deserve.
We also want to make sure that it is a good fit for both parties.
Contact us today to schedule a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your Real Estate legal needs.