Real Estate
Dothan real estate attorney R. Bruce Hall has concentrated a significant part of his professional practice handling all levels of residential and commercial property transactions. From a first time home buyer, to the area’s best homebuilders, to multi-state and multi-million-dollar commercial property transactions, he has provided professional, legal and title services, with attention focused on both the details of the deal and for the needs of the client.
Private Sales & Financing
We regularly advise individuals in the selling or buying of property themselves and can assist you through the entire transaction, from writing a proper contract to drafting correct owner-financing documents.
Title Services
Our firm provides both lenders and individuals with title services through the Chicago Title Insurance Company and have been recognized by Chicago Title Insurance Company as a top producer within the State of Alabama and the southeast United States.
Perhaps the most important aspect of purchasing any property, following closely behind negotiating a fair price and contract, is assuring the title to the property is clear and marketable so that buyers are protected from a title claim or defect that might challenge their ownership. This is best done with an Owner’s Title Insurance Policy. Title insurance can give an owner confidence that their ownership is good and marketable. This is a unique type of insurance, as, unlike almost any other insurance product, title insurance insures the title against events that may have already taken place. Lenders are so convinced of its importance that they require a lender’s title insurance policy to be issued for the coverage of their mortgage loan, but this insurance is solely for the lender’s protection. As a Chicago Title Insurance agent for more than thirty years, and a consistent top title agent in the Southeast, Attorney Bruce Hall can provide you with a Chicago Title Insurance Owners policy that will protect and preserve your equity and ownership from the time the deed is delivered and for as long as you own your home.
Abstracts & Opinions
As an attorney, R. Bruce Hall is authorized to issue an opinion on the title to land. This is just what the name suggests-an Attorneys Title Opinion is a report on the status of a property title that comes from the attorney’s search of the public records related to the piece of property. An opinion letter is more limited in scope and coverage than the protection afforded by a Title Insurance Policy.
Business Transactions
Whether you wish to buy single real estate property or make an investment involving multiple properties, we can advise you on the right choice of an entity to organize and conduct your business.
The real property attorneys at Hall & Bell have experience in many other real estate related cases and we have litigated issues involving the following:
- Home Equity Loans
- Boundary Line Disputes
- Easements
- Clearing and Curing Title Defects
- Tax Redemptions
- Leases: Drafting and Enforcement
- Evictions and Unlawful Detainers
- Foreclosure and Redemptions Issues
- Sale for Division and Property Partitions Involving Joint Owners
If you have a mortgage on your home, we will need your mortgage lender contact information, loan number and your written authorization to obtain the payoff for the property being sold or refinanced. Your mortgage balance is the current loan balance. Your payoff amount will likely have additional charges that will include interest due since your last payment until the date your mortgage will be paid.
If you cannot be present due to distance or time constraints, let us know and we can prepare a limited power of attorney so the transaction is not delayed.
If there is a homeowner’s association, please provide us with the association’s manager contact information and a schedule for dues and fees.
At closing we will require valid photo identification.
Payment will have to be by certified funds or wire transfer. This is because personal checks will be held until cleared by both our bank and yours and this often takes anywhere from one to ten days. We are disbursing funds to parties immediately after closing and therefore we must have on hand and in our escrow account fully collected “good funds”. We can usually provide you the payment amount that is necessary the day before the closing.