Real Estate Law

Outstanding Real Estate Law Representation

Are you involved with a real estate transaction and need professional legal counsel? If you're considering buying or selling real estate in the neighborhood, make sure you have an experienced legal attorney. We can also assist with cases involving closings and property disputes. Contact the attorneys at Coleman & MacDonald Law Office today.

Effective Buyer-Seller Legal Representation

Our experienced attorneys can help make the offer, begin the negotiation process to purchase your home, walk you through the sale, and develop a favorable buyer-seller agreement.

• Buyer representation
• Seller representation
• Real property disputes

Foreclosure Avoidance and Loss Mitigation Services

Loan modification: A loan modification restructures the terms of your loan and results in affordable monthly payments.

Short sale: In a short sale, the lender agrees to accept a sale of your house for less than the outstanding mortgage amount as payment in full on your outstanding debt.

Deed in lieu of foreclosure: With a deed in lieu of foreclosure, you transfer your home ownership to the lender to avoid a formal foreclosure and fully satisfy the outstanding mortgage.

Dependable Landlord-Tenant Legal Assistance

At Coleman & MacDonald Law Office, our attorneys strive to fix landlord-tenant disputes rapidly to avoid costly litigation. Nevertheless, when a reasonable resolution can't be reached in litigation, the firm's landlord-tenant attorneys have a history of providing tenants and landlords with trial court representation that they can respond to for all their landlord-tenant disputes. If the leased property is a client's home, a commercial space, or a supply of rental income, its location is an important component of their lifestyle or business operation. Clients in Boston trust our landlord-tenant attorneys to supply them with industry-leading legal representation.

Representation for Landlords

• Eviction process
• Drafting and implementing landlord-tenant contracts
• Security deposit disputes

Representation for Tenants

• Representation after an eviction notice
• Poor living conditions
• Disputes over security deposits
• Protecting your rights as a tenant

Real Estate Law in Massachusetts

Coleman & MacDonald Law Office represents clients engaged in commercial and residential real estate matters. Knowing that real estate problems often require expertise in numerous regions of legislation, our real estate lawyers possess the capability to work effectively and efficiently across practice areas, such as:

• Construction
• Environmental law
• Investment and finance
• Government regulations
• Litigation

We are a client-centered practice focused on personal attention. There are precise regulations and laws inside the real estate law practice, such as the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). The acts govern real estate transactions and lenders making loans for real estate purchases and refinancing.

In the aftermath of the housing bubble, the mortgage catastrophe, and the unstable housing market, real estate investors and homeowners in Massachusetts must be more diligent than ever with securing financing to fund their property purchase, mortgage refinance, or renovation job. Clients in Boston trust the experienced real estate lawyers at Coleman & MacDonald Law Office to recognize potential legal problems before they arise. We deliver industry-leading legal representation in most regions of our real estate law practice!

Boundary Line Disputes

Many real estate owners, particularly those who own residential or commercial building land around the greater Boston area, will discover that their property lines and borders were drawn decades ago — sometimes centuries ago. For that reason, their boundary lines may not be clearly marked on the land or their old subdivision map, survey, or plot plan. When landlines and boundaries aren't clear, confusion can create a point of dispute between neighbors.

College Student Housing Disputes

Many people think of home for college students in the context of on-campus dormitories. Nevertheless, many students decide to live in off-campus apartments. This is common for students of institutions located in metropolitan areas like Boston. While residing off-campus has several advantages, it also raises several issues that college students should be aware of before they, or their parents, indications an apartment lease.

Condominium Law

The laws governing condominiums are multifaceted and complex. First, all condominiums in Massachusetts are controlled by the terms of a document known as the "master deed" and Chapter 183A of the Massachusetts General Laws. Second, usually, the entity that created the condominium is a trust; therefore, a document-qualified "declaration of trust" also controls the inside workings of the condominium.

This high degree of regulation often leads to violations and disputes among unit owners and the condominium association trustees. The condominium law lawyers at Coleman & MacDonald Law Office represent clients in a broad scope of condominium-related matters, such as disputes among condominium unit owners, disputes between condominium unit owners and the condominium association board of trustees, actions for an accounting of the condominium cost and converting a property into a condominium.

Real Estate Easements

An easement is an interest in real estate that fundamentally affects residential and commercial property owners. Given the complexities of Massachusetts easement legislation and principles, it's imperative to contact the real estate attorneys at Coleman & MacDonald Law Office. We have experience working with easements, understanding that easement and zoning problems tend to arise together. Hence, there are many situations where the firm's zoning litigation attorneys can also be helpful.

Foreclosure Law

When businesses or individuals use the funding to finance their land purchase, the Massachusetts creditors make loans in exchange for a mortgage on the property that generally includes the "Statutory Power of Sale" provision. A Statutory Power of Sale clause in a mortgage allows a lender to foreclose on a property without court authorization or oversight. The mortgage protects the lenders if the debtor doesn't make the mortgage loan payments.

Homeowners Association (HOA) Law

A Homeowners Association (HOA) is an unincorporated non-profit association consisting of land owners living in a particular condominium building or residential area. In general, the goal of a homeowners association would be to ensure common areas are well kept, and the specific use and building constraints are enforced.

Real Estate Contract Law

Coleman & MacDonald Law Office knows that litigation is expensive, creates delays, and may be bad for business. Our firm's objectives are to prepare contracts that prevent disputes, promote business development, and economically protect our client's interests. Our real estate contract preparation attorneys have real-world real estate business expertise, allowing us to effectively prepare real estate contracts that reach our client's goals. We restrict their exposure and guard their interests over the long term.

Offers To Purchase Real Estate

Many individuals use a realtor's assistance when searching for a brand-new house. Realtors can prove invaluable in finding the right new home. Still, to coordinate with a realtor, you should also have a real estate attorney who will look out for your best interests through the entire real estate purchase procedure. In Massachusetts, realtors can't give legal advice, nor will they draft contracts. Realtors can only fill blank standardized forms produced by several realtor groups such as Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB).

Residential Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreements

Any time you enter a contract, you must shield your interests by having an attorney prepare the agreement or, at the very least, look it over before you sign. This ensures you get the best deal possible and won't become waylaid by loopholes down the road. Using a one-size-fits-all standardized purchase and sale agreement form is not the most efficient way to guard your interest in a real estate transaction.

Real Estate and Construction Loan Regulations

The attorneys at Coleman & MacDonald Law Office are well versed in the regulations and laws affecting lenders. The firm also represents private creditors who're in the company of providing contractors with short-term construction loans. USA and Massachusetts regulations control much of the lending business, and it's important to understand these rules before participating in the financing business.

Real Estate Investment Law

There's no one size fits all solution to mitigating real estate investment threats. We apply a distinguished team approach to every real estate investment issue, allowing our firm to provide clients with creative solutions that resolve challenging legal questions affecting real estate investments.

The lease preparation attorneys at Coleman & MacDonald Law Office understand the day-to-day operations of commercial real estate leasing and management from Boston and throughout Massachusetts. The firm's real estate leasing attorneys give lease preparation and negotiation services to landlords and tenants involved with a broad range of leasing agreements like space, apartments, condominiums, warehouse and ground leases, and subleases.

Real Estate Transactions and Closings

The real estate attorneys at Coleman & MacDonald Law Office represent clients at every stage of their residential and commercial real estate transactions, including purchase and sale agreement review and negotiation, resolving lien issues, and appearing at the final. The firm's real estate attorneys are detail-orientated and organized to ensure that all loose ends are tied and that there aren't any unforeseen delays.

Real Estate Litigation

Litigation can occur at any stage during a real estate transaction or some other phase of a real estate development project — from purchase to securing financing, commencing construction, preparing leases, and managing the home. Our real estate litigation attorneys have the experience and expertise to advise clients on possible risks and solutions that might be utilized to prevent litigation costs. Coleman & MacDonald Law Office will aggressively pursue its clients' interests in Massachusetts state and federal courts.