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Your Key to Success

Fee Schedule

Residential

$1100

Fixed Fee Includes:

  • Attorney’s Fee
  • Contract Review
  • Title Search ** *** ****
  • Title Examination
  • Title Opinion
  • Title Commitment
  • Clear Simple Cloud on Title *****
  • Document Preparation
  • Estate Review (if needed)
  • Entity (LLC/Corp)  Review
  • Submission for Recording
  • Final Title Opinion to Underwriter
  • Delivery of Final Title Policy

Fees Billed Separately:

  • Seller Doc Fee  $450
  • Wire Fee            $50 / wire
  • Recording         $110 (avg)
  • FedEx (NC)      $50 / pkg
    Out-of-State   Market Rate

Refinance

$900

Fixed Fee Includes:

  • Attorney’s Fee
  • Contract Review
  • Title Search** ***
  • Title Examination
  • Document Preparation
  • Submission for Recording

Fees Billed Separately:

  • Wire Fee          $50 / wire
  • Recording        $110 (avg)
  • FedEx (NC)      $50 / pkg
    Out-of-State   Market Rate

HELOC

$800

Fixed Fee Includes:

  • Attorney’s Fee
  • Contract Review
  • Title Search**
  • Title Examination
  • Document Prep

Fees Billed Separately:

  • Wire Fee         $50 / wire
  • Recording       $110 (avg)
  • FedEx (NC)     $50 / pkg
    Out-of-State   Market Rate

Additional Services:

  • Subordination Agmt.     $200
  • Power of Attorney          $200
  • Mail-Away Closing        $150
  • Mobile Notary                 $200
  • Deed Preparation           $300
  • Second Mortgage            $300
  • Deed of Trust (Form)     $150
  • Deed of Trust (Custom) $150 / hr

Short Sale
Facilitation

Starting At

$1,500

Investors

call for a

Custom Quote

*  There may be additional charges incurred for processing lengthy documents, and for closings in excess of $1,000,000

** Closings for properties located in certain counties will require a ground abstraction to obtain title or court records if required documents are not available online,  Ground abstraction fees vary by county.   

*** Closings with more than one parcel included with the conveyance will be charged an additional fee for each additional parcel.

**** Searches involving probate records, trust documents, or other non-standard records, will incur additional fees to cover the additional search time, copy costs, and processing.

***** Simple clouds on title are things like a single unsatisfied mortgage in the current owner’s name.  More involved clouds on title such as unsatisfied mortgages not in the current owner’s name, judgments or liens, foreclosures, etc. will incur additional fees commensurate to the work involved.  

In Our Clients' Own Words

Norman Legal, PLLC
4.9
Based on 15 reviews
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safin selimovicsafin selimovic
20:21 18 Dec 20
We have worked with the Norman Legal few times before. Very professional, timely oriented team. Thank you for accommodating us and helping us with all the paperwork we needed in order to close on our loan.We are looking forward to working with you again.
Chris ConnollyChris Connolly
18:05 28 Jan 20
Used their services for a refinance - start to close in 15 days! great work!
Mark PizzatoMark Pizzato
21:22 12 Nov 19
Jason's flat rate was GREAT along with his willingness to answer my many questions by email, to assert my NC rights in lender negotiations (regarding problematic elements of the Closing Estimate), and to persevere in the final days toward closing on time despite problems from the lender. I highly recommend him to anyone.
Justin KnowlesJustin Knowles
21:26 09 Aug 19
Brian JacksonBrian Jackson
01:14 26 Jun 19
Jason is an excellent attorney and won my case in court. He is extremely intelligent but is really easy to talk to and answered each of my questions when we spoke. He did exactly what he said he would. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
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JASON SOLVED A BIG REAL ESTATE PROBLEM FOR ME

I mistakenly signed an agreement with one of the 3rd party home buying companies but immediately realized I’d made a mistake. I asked them to release me but they would not budge, and placed notices on my deed to keep me from selling on my own. They had no expense in marketing nor fixing the… Read more “JASON SOLVED A BIG REAL ESTATE PROBLEM FOR ME”

Richard Gorberg

Frequently
Asked
Questions

There are three types of real estate deeds available to transfer property from one party to another.  They are General Warranty Deed, Special Warranty Deed, and Quitclaim Deed.  The difference between these three are the amount of protection they offer to the purchaser of the property.  The rules are as follows:

General Warranty Deeds convey six covenants of title, or guarantees, to the purchaser.  Three of those covenants are called “present covenants”, which means that the warranty applies to conditions that exist prior to the transfer of ownership.  The other three are “future covenants”, which are promises to protect the buyer against future events.

Present Covenants: These warranties are made by the seller to assure the buyer that certain conditions are true when the sale is closed.

  1. Covenant of Seisin:
    Each seller warrants that he or she is the rightful owner of the property being sold.
  2. Covenant of No Encumbrances:
    The seller warrants that title to the property is free and clear of any liens, mortgages, taxes, leases, easements or  other restrictions that have not been disclosed and accepted by the buyer.
  3. Covenant of the Right to Convey:
    Each seller warrants that he or she has the legal right to transfer the property to the buyer. A seller must hold title in order to possess this right.

Future Covenants are promises made by the seller to defend the buyer against certain problems that might arise after the property has been transferred.

  1. Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment:
    The future covenant of quiet enjoyment is the seller’s assurance to the buyer that his right to possession will not be disrupted by a third party’s claim to title after the purchase is complete.
  2. Covenant of Warranty:
    Similar to quiet enjoyment, this is a promise made by a seller that if certain claims are raised against the purchaser’s title by a third party after the sale is complete, then the seller will be required to defend the purchaser against those claims. Each seller also agrees to compensate the buyer for any losses incurred as a result of a successful claim.
  3. Covenant of Further Assurances:
    Each seller promises to help the purchaser perfect his title should the need arise sometime in the future. This typically involves providing documents or correcting mistakes.

Special Warranty Deeds

A Special Warranty Deed provides less assurances to the buyer than a General Warranty Deed.  Essentially, a special warranty deed only provides the three Present Covenants that the general warranty deed provides, and does not provide any future covenants.

So the special warranty deed will provide the Covenants of Seisin, No Encumbrances, and the Right to Convey, but will not provide protections for Quiet Enjoyment, Warranty, or Further Assurances.

Special warranty deeds are often used by developers when they sell new construction homes.

Special warranty deeds essentially only warrant against defects in title that were created by the grantor’s actions or inactions. 

Quitclaim Deeds provide  provide ZERO protection to the grantee. They simply transfer whatever interest the grantor has to the grantee, nothing more.  If the grantor has no interest in title, none is conveyed to the grantee.  Quitclaim Deeds should never be used for a purchase transaction.

Typically, the participants will include:

  • You, the buyer
  • The seller
  • The real estate agents representing buyer and seller
  • Attorneys for the buyer and seller
  • The closing attorney or settlement agent,  the title insurance representative and escrow agent will also attend 
    Often those three roles are filled by the same person

This list is not exhaustive, and not all of these parties are required to be in the room at one time. 
Often, the buyer and seller will sign at different times, which is also acceptable particularly if one party is out of state.

You should always bring:

  • Identification
  • Payment for closing costs

Your closing attorney will advise you if other documents are required, such as:

  • Proof of insurance
  • Approval of inspections of the property

Do your hand stretches in advance, because there’s lots of signing to be done! (just kidding, it’s not that bad)

There are many documents to go over, but most of these you should be familiar with in advance of the closing so it will be fairly painless to finalize the process.

Some of the documents you may see at closing include:

  • Closing Disclosure Statement – details all funds changing hands between buyer and seller
  • Mortgage Note – outlines the specifics of your obligation to repay the lender 
  • Deed of Trust – gives the lender a claim against your home if you fail to uphold your obligations under the mortgage
  • Deed if you’re paying in cash
  • Affidavits – binding statements by the buyer or seller
  • Riders – any contract amendments that might impact your rights

Signatures in North Carolina can be either traditional wet signatures, or they can be signed electronically using a digital signature pad witnessed by an eNotary. 
Either method is acceptable, and eSignatures are legally binding just as if you signed in ink.

Closing costs can vary depending on your lender, title work performed, optional services requested, or specific variances on your purchase that might require work outside of the normal process.  Here is a non-exhaustive list of items that might appear on your closing disclosures:

  • Loan Origination
  • Application Fee
  • Appraisal Fee
  • Lender’s Document Preparation Fee
  • Realtor Commission
  • Real Estate Attorney’s Fees
  • Pest Inspection Fee
  • Credit Report Fee
  • Flood Determination Fee
  • Wire Fees
  • Recording Fees
  • Title Insurance (Lender’s and/or Owner’s Policy)
  • Overnight courier fees (depends on lender requirements)
  • Prepaid items:
    • Property Taxes
    • Hazard Insurance
    • Mortgage Insurance Premiums (if applicable)

If you have any questions or concerns about any item that appears on your closing disclosures, it is important to raise the issue before you close!
Once you close the deal, the contract is merged into the deed, which means that you will no longer be able to contest any aspect of the contract later that is not included in the deed itself.

North Carolina approaches residential real estate closings slightly differently than other states.  

In many states, when a buyer enters a contract to purchase a home, she is required to put down a single earnest money deposit.  This earnest money deposit is refundable for a set period of time, usually two weeks, during which the owner conducts a home inspection and investigates any areas of concern that may cause her to change her mind about purchasing the property.  If something does cause a change of heart, the buyer notifies the escrow agent and the seller that she is canceling the contract, and so long as the cancellation is within the allotted time period the escrow agent will return the earnest money to the buyer.  No harm no foul.

In North Carolina, things work slightly differently.  North Carolina breaks the deposits required for a real estate contract into two separate amounts.   

First, there is a due diligence deposit.   Once a contract has been signed, a buyer gives the seller a small amount of money, typically less than a few hundred dollars, which essentially buys time for the purchaser to conduct a home inspection and other property related investigations.  During this period the home will be taken off the market and unavailable for purchase by other interested parties.  If the buyer has a change of heart during this period, the earnest money deposit is refunded, but the due diligence deposit is forfeited as payment for the time the house was off of the market.  This is done to protect sellers from frivolous buyers who may hold a home off the market “without any skin in the game”, so to speak. 

Second, is the earnest money deposit.  The earnest money period lasts from the end of the due diligence period until the transaction is closed.  For this period, the buyer typically puts down an earnest money deposit of about 1% of the total purchase price, but that can vary based on the current market conditions.  The earnest money deposit covers the seller’s interest in selling the property quickly, because if the buyer decides to back out of the sale, then the seller has lost valuable time in the market during which the property could be sold to another buyer.  For that reason, earnest money deposits are said to “go hard”, meaning they are no longer refundable, at the end of the due diligence period.  After that date, if a buyer cancels the contract then the seller keeps the both the due diligence and earnest money deposits as payment for the time the home was available for the buyer to purchase to the exclusion of all others.

 These differences can be confusing, particularly to first-time home buyers and buyers who are relocating from states that do not use this practice.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about how this process works in North Carolina.

When a buyer closes a real estate purchase with a mortgage, the lender will always require the buyer to purchase a lender’s title insurance policy.  At the same time, a settlement attorney will likely offer the buyer the option to purchase an additional owner’s title insurance policy.  So what gives?  Why should you pay two premiums for title insurance?

The difference between the two is that the lender’s insurance policy only covers the lender.  If there is a problem with the title which later causes a dispute as to ownership of the property, the lender will be protected against its loss, but the owner is not protected at all.

Here are some problems that an owner’s title insurance policy can protect you against both monetarily, and with a legal defense if required:

  • Errors or omissions in deeds
  • Mistakes in examining records
  • Forgery
  • Undisclosed heirs

Buying a home is often the largest investment in time and money that an individual or family will make in their lifetime.  An owner’s title insurance policy is a relatively inexpensive way to give yourself peace of mind, knowing that you are protected against these risks from day one of home ownership.

The short answer is no, title insurance is only mandatory when you are borrowing money to make the purchase.
HOWEVER, it is HIGHLY recommended that you purchase an owner’s title insurance policy even if you’re paying cash!

See the FAQ “Why do real estate closings often include two title insurance policies?’ for details on why not buying an owner’s title insurance policy can be a big mistake.

The distinctions between a title opinion issued by an attorney and title insurance issued by an insurance company can be subtle, but they are important to understand.

An attorney’s title opinion is based on available public records. Before a title insurance commitment is issued by the insurer, the closing attorney will conduct a thorough examination of all available public records related to the property’s existing title.  This should include items such as:

  • The type of Deed held by the seller (General Warranty, Special Warranty, or Quitclaim?)
  • Is there a Deed of Trust?
  • Are there any outstanding mortgages?
  • If so, what order of priority do the mortgages have?
  • What are the payoff values of each?
  • Is the chain of title unbroken?
  • Are there any easements?
  • Are there any tax certificates, mechanic’s liens, or judgments attached to the property?
  • Is there a pending litigation attached to the property that is unsettled?
  •  Does the seller have an existing title insurance policy that can be reissued?
  • Is the title marketable?

All of these items are searched thoroughly in the public record, and entered into a title opinion which is given to the title insurer.  Based on this information, the title insurer will issue a commitment letter stating that they will issue a policy on the property’s title, and the letter will enumerate any exemptions they are claiming from the public records.

So let’s say that the attorney misses something in the deed that causes the buyer to lose the home, or to get less property than he thought he purchased.  That would be actionable as malpractice, because the information was right there for the attorney to review, and he failed to do so with reasonable care.

BUT, let’s imagine another scenario where the attorney DID use reasonable care, and the problem with the deed was not readily apparent from the public record.  In that case, the buyer is not protected against loss because the attorney could not have known of the problem to warn the buyer before the sale went through.

This is where title insurance comes in.  Title insurance provides the lender and/or owner with coverage against most of the things that might come up that are not available in the public record before the sale is completed.  Things like forgery or undisclosed heirs that make a claim on the property after the sale is complete.  These unforeseeable events are covered by a title insurance policy, and would not be covered by a title opinion.

As you can see, there is value to both, and that is why both title opinions and title insurance are recommended for all real estate transactions in North Carolina, and required for all transactions involving a loan.

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