Baltimore investment properties require the hiring of a good real estate attorney. This is because most attorneys are not familiar with property transactions and have never invested themselves. Therefore, they are only good at giving advice that will prevent them from being sued. They can’t tell you how to generate more dollars from a deal. Surely you don’t want to be happy with such a lawyer, do you?   A competent Baltimore investment property real estate lawyer is one who can tell you all about the risks involved in transactions. Not only this. They also suggest options for profitable real estate transactions. In other words, he points out the problems and offers solutions. When a lawyer refrains from talking about real estate risks; when he detects problems but doesn’t talk about a solution; or when your lawyer methodically kills deals (most lawyers are famous for killing deals), you’re with the wrong person.

4 things you must do to hire a good real estate attorney

• Join a real estate investor association in your city and ask for references.
• Ask people who have invested in and used the services of a lawyer.
• Contact title companies and real estate agents for referrals.
• Forget the yellow pages. You may not choose any attorney who claims to know about Baltimore investment property.

Remember, there are 5 subgroups of real estate law:

• Agriculture
• Industrial
• Commercial
• Residential
• Landlord Tenant

For each subgroup, there are lawyers. There are also lawyers for environmental law and construction law. Every lawyer is an expert in her field and cannot give you good advice in other fields. Therefore, it is important that you choose a lawyer who is a specialist in a particular field. Generally, in real estate, there are two types of attorneys: one that handles trials and the other that handles contractual matters. The former are known as litigants and the latter are transactional lawyers. There are also some lawyers who deal with both matters. However, it is best to hire someone who is a specialist in one subject or another. Therefore, for Baltimore investment property, a settlement attorney is ideal, unless you are embroiled in a lawsuit for which you may need a litigator.

5 things to know about your lawyer before hiring him

• If they own any rental property.
• The number of closures that typically occur each year.
• Your recent odd transactions.
• Whether they have done foreclosures, evictions, condo conversions, or appeals to the zoning board.
• Whether they are well versed in terms like installment land contract, lease or option, wraparound mortgage, and other real estate jargon.

When a lawyer opens his mouth, he can get the feeling if he’s sitting with an expert or a phony. That is why it is always recommended that he have a face-to-face conversation with an attorney before hiring him for a Baltimore investment property.