A couple
of transactions are worth seeking legal help. Let's say that you
are contemplating buying a home in a planned unit development with
a deep-water boat dock to house your Vanguard sailboat. You want
exclusive rights to the boat dock. Chances are you will be handed
a very thick stack of rather imposing looking documents to cull
through and understand concerning your rights in the development
and the dock. To save your eyesight, and wet-thumbing through Black's
Law Dictionary, hire a real estate attorney well versed in cohousing
communities to review the CC&Rs (conditions, coveneants and
restrictions) on your behalf. Check to see if the important elements
are compatible with your lifestyle and needs. Some associations
exert more control over their lives and activities of their members
than does the government.
One other area where an attorney's advice is
well worth the expense has to do with title. An attorney searches
the public records to to ensure that the property you are purchasing
can be legally occupied and that there are no tax or other liens
against the property. In some states, as for example California,
some of these searches can be skipped; instead title companies
issue a preliminary title report to purchasers to review prior
to signing on the proverbial dotted line.
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