Ask These 5 Questions When Choosing a RESPA Real Estate Attorney

“What the heck is RESPA?”

Many attorneys try to handle real estate matters in addition to their regular practice. Very few lawyers are aware of the complexities of the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (RESPA) enforced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD.)

RESPA statutes are consumer protection laws that impact virtually all single family to four family homes. RESPA compliance issues and the remedies available to borrowers who have been victimized by unscrupulous mortgage lenders, title companies and other real estate settlement providers are a real challenge. Even for full-time real estate attorneys, RESPA is a very complex statute. You must be careful and ask questions of the attorney you choose in order to make sure you get the proper legal protection that the RESPA statute i is designed to accomplish. Consumers and Businesses alike are protected when RESPA is in compliance.

Question #1

“What RESPA experience do you have?”

No doubt about it. Start with the big one. Real estate laws and regulations are complicated enough without adding RESPA to the equation. Have they prepared marketing agreements that comply? Have they attended RESPA specific training courses and seminars? Have they kept abreast of the most recent HUD guidelines and court cases nationally regarding RESPA? How many RESPA cases and clients have they handled? What types of RESPA cases did they handle? Were the issues similar to yours? What were their results? Don’t be shy!

Question # 2

“What type of reputation does the attorney have?”

This is a tough one to figure out – so do your homework! Is the attorney primarily a transaction attorney or a litigator skilled in courtroom procedures if necessary? Your attorney must have the communication skills necessary to work with the other attorney as well as you. The other attorney, if more knowledgeable on RESPA can run over you and your lawyer. Remember that many cases are won or lost on the attorney’s knowledge and high ethical standards. Check the local Bar association for background. Get references and check them out thoroughly.

Question # 3

“What type of resources does the attorney have?”

No attorney can do everything well. Make sure that your attorney has the resources available to work your case efficiently. Does the attorney have a well established network of experts and fellow attorneys who can network with to add value and expertise to your problem? Some attorneys try to do it all and act as a one man band. Your attorney’s ego should not be larger than your case. A good attorney quickly involves others with higher degrees of expertise in areas where it is needed to represent you properly. The experts they use are a reflection of your new attorney.

Question # 4

“What about communications and follow up?”

The hallmark of a good attorney is the degree of communication he has with his clients. If you have to ask “What’s going on with my case?” then you have a problem. You don’t want to have these types of issues after choosing an attorney. Be blunt and ask how often you will be contacted and updated. How will you be contacted? Will the attorney just send you a form letter or use personal communication and contact? How do you prefer to be contacted? E-mail, phone calls, letters? Ask for it. “Are you too busy to handle me? Are you going to push me to a lower level staffer or junior attorney?” Clear communication and updates can ensure success and results.

Question # 5

“How do they charge?”

Some attorneys charge a flat fee, some charge a contingency based upon results and some charge hourly rates. The type of problem or case generally dictates the type of charge. There is an old saying, “Speed, Efficiency and Price – pick TWO!” The cheapest attorney may not be the best and the most expensive attorney may not be the best either! Make sure that you are not penny wise and dollar foolish. You are choosing an attorney for results. Make sure that your attorney has the financial incentive to work your case efficiently and successfully.

Simple But Helpful Tips For Home-Based Business Success

In order to set specific goals for your home-based business you first need to have a clear vision of where your home-based business is heading to. You also need to think big, and never be afraid, for there’s absolutely nothing that you can’t achieve. Ensure that all the effort and hard work you devote to you business will be for something that’s truly worthwhile.Don’t Get Advice From Cynics And PessimistsSucceeding in a home-based business venture requires that you have a ton of patience and determination, as well as a lot of cheerfulness and positivity. While most of us will have our moments of fear and self-doubt, especially when we’re headed to uncharted waters, it would be best if we pay attention to our fears and anxieties, but not take their counsel, much less delve on it everyday. Remember to get advice only from those who give encouragement and positive vibes. Steer clear of the doomsday prophets and naysayers, because they’ll continue to hound you if ever you continue to accommodate them.Be The Perpetual Optimist In running a home-based business, an ounce of optimism goes a long, long way. You need to firmly believe that things will work out, and that whatever happens to your business today, things will look much better in the morning. Be the perpetual optimist, and bombard yourself with positive vibrations. Repeat positive ideas and thoughts as if they were a mantra, and instill a spirit of unbreakable optimism in your outlook. Having a positive and determined mindset will help to act as a magnet that will bring you success and more profits.Be Cautious, But Remain Calm When running a home-based business, being reckless and acting in a frenzied manner will do you no good. When faced with unexpected downturns or challenges, learn to recognize these situations as part and parcel of business life, and learn how to keep your cool, and always look at things in a different light.Running a home-based business is almost the same as operating other competitive business ventures. Learn to leave nothing at the table, and quickly grab opportunities as they come along, for it may not come again. It’s a fact that a lot of business owners give up on their business, just as they were about to approach the brink of success. When things don’t look good on the outside, hang in there, and continue telling yourself that tomorrow is another day, and things are really not as bad as they seem.

Home Based Business – A Great Option For Retirees

Often people find that the money they saved for all those years is barely enough to pay their monthly bills. Also, gone are the days when you worked you whole life for one company and retired with a regular pension. Times have changed now and people have to find their own ways to save money for retirement. This is where a home based business can kick in and help you out.  How will it help?Starting a home based business can have a lot of advantages for you. Most importantly, it will give you a way of earning good money if you put in enough effort. It will also fill the huge void created by your retirement in life, where you have a lot of time to kill and nothing for work for.  Also, the cost of living goes on increasing at an exponential rate and you can rarely plan for that.Low investment:If you are thinking of starting a home based business after retirement, it is not as if you have to put all the money that you saved into the business. You can start with small investments and reap good returns with time. Especially with the advent of the internet, retirees today have the kind of choices that they didn’t have about a decade ago.Look around on the internet and find out what kind of home businesses exist that can make use of the skills that you have acquired over the years. You will find many websites which will help you out with when trying to choosing a business.When to start out:You retire and decide to start a home based business to keep earning income. You invest some money into it and work hard only to find out that the field that you have chosen is not the best for you. This may lead to a loss of saved money and it could also be a cause a frustration.Instead it is better to start planning for your business in advance, that is, when you are still working. This is the perfect time to start, since you don’t need to commit fully to it and can work part time. It will give you the opportunity to try different kinds of businesses, without much loss. By the time you do retire, you will have figured out what kind of business is best suited to you.  If you are going to retire or have already retired, make sure you consider the prospect of a home based business, before planning the future. You may earn enough money to pay your health bills and also go on long vacations.