New York closings, explained straight.

In practice, yes. New York custom places attorneys on both sides of nearly every residential transaction, and lenders require counsel at the table. The contract of sale is drafted and negotiated by attorneys — which means the value of representation is highest before you sign, when everything is still negotiable.

Fees fit the deal — they vary with the size, type, and complexity of your transaction, residential or commercial. Every client receives a written quote, typically the same business day, and the quote is honored: no hourly meter, no surprise line items at the table. Third-party costs — title insurance premiums, transfer taxes, recording fees — are separate, and you receive them itemized in writing before you commit. Request your quote here.

Before you sign anything — a contract, a binder, a rider. A problem caught before signature usually costs nothing to fix. The same problem discovered afterward can cost the deal, or five figures. It's why the office's standing advice fits on a bumper sticker: call before you sign.

Everything under the hood. You're buying shares in a corporation and a proprietary lease — not real property. That means a board package, a recognition agreement, a UCC-1 filing instead of a mortgage recording, possible flip taxes, and building financials worth reading closely. It's the transaction type where inexperienced counsel gets hurt most — and where decades of title-industry experience shows.

A Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement. When you refinance in New York, a CEMA lets you pay mortgage recording tax only on new money rather than the entire loan amount — often a savings of thousands of dollars. It requires both lenders to cooperate and counsel who has run the structure many times. This office has.

Typically 60–90 days from contract for financed purchases; cash deals move faster. Co-op board approval usually adds two to four weeks. The schedule killers — expired rate locks, open permits, slow payoffs, missing satisfactions — are all items this office starts chasing in week one.

Buyers typically pay: title insurance premiums, mortgage recording tax (on financed deals), lender fees, and recording charges — plus the mansion tax on purchases of $1 million or more. Sellers typically pay: NY State transfer tax ($4 per $1,000), local transfer taxes where applicable (NYC: 1–1.425% residential), payoff and recording fees, any co-op flip tax, and broker commission. Exact figures depend on price, property type, and county — you get a written, itemized estimate before you commit to anything.

No. Buyer and seller are adverse parties in a real estate transaction, and New York ethics rules require each side to have independent counsel. Anyone offering to "handle both sides" is a red flag — for both sides.

Not anymore — bank and lender representation is no longer part of this practice. What remains is the benefit of those years: having closed from the bank's side of the table at volume means your purchase or sale is prepared the way the lender's counsel will read it. The practice today: purchaser and seller representation, residential and commercial.

Whatever you have — an unsigned contract, a term sheet, a listing, or nothing but questions. If a contract is already in front of you, start a review before you sign it. Review is fast, and the consultation costs you nothing.