Real Estate Attorneys
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Looking for a Reputable Real Estate Attorney
Dec 2011
Excellent real estate attorneys, husband and wife Deborah & Jeff
Leon, Leon & Leon, Oakland, specialize in construction defect
ligitation, smart, effective, really good. Phone 208-6600.
Pat
I recommend Timothy McCormick in Walnut Creek. He provides sound
advice, and can work as both a mediator as well as a litigator. He
has over twenty years experience in real estate law in California.
Good luck!
vt
I've used Thomas Eastridge in Oakland on several occasions. His
specially is real estate. I found him down to earth, fair, and very
knowledgable. I felt he was really in my corner and have referred to
him to several of my friends. I recommend this guy highly. His # is
510-530-1700. Email, thomas@ eastridgelaw.com. Dana
Jean Shrem is very ethical and reputable and is also a
licensed real estate broker. 510-882-9992. Jean@ShremLaw.com
MJ
May 2011
We are in the process of a short sale and need advice about our
phantom income tax liability (the deficiency on our 2nd mortgage being
reported as income). Not sure whether we need a tax attorney or CPA.
Thanks in advance.
Underwater
Taxpayers who have cancellation of debt income may be excused
from taxation on that income if it results from the abandonment
or cancellation of debt from a personal residence when the fair
market value of the property is less than the amount of debt
cancelled. There is an additonal form to be filed with the 1040.
Lynn
Contact Jean Shrem, Shrem Law Group, 510-882-9992,
Jean@ShremLaw.com, www.ShremLaw.com. She knows her stuff
regarding short sales, foreclosures and other types of
strategic default.
Anon
March 2011
Hello - I am looking for an attorney who can advise me about
real estate and the ramifications of short sale or
foreclosure. I am in El Cerrito, but don't mind traveling
pretty much anywhere within the greater bay area for a
knowledgeable person. Thanks in advance!
anon
I can recommend a really good attorney for real estate tax issues or
family law issues. His name is Tim McCormick and he works in the East
Bay. He can be reached at 510-
421-1998 and his website is LibrisSolutions.com. Good luck!
berkeley parent
I would recommend Jean Shrem of Shrem Law Group:
510-882-9992 / Jean@ShremLaw.com / www.ShremLaw.com. She is
in El Cerrito and incredibly knowledgeable about these issues. anon
Jan 2011
Im having problems with a loan modification that went wrong on our
Mortgage. Can still afford to make payments on the original terms of
the loan modification, but cant under the new terms that a major
lender decided to reneg on.. need a deligent, cost effective real
estate attorney in berkeley or nearby who will truly take on our
case from a clients perspective,and be a honest broker on our
behalf.. Thanks
Jean Shrem is an attorney who specializes in loan modifications. I've
heard her speak on the subject many times and she's really good at what
she does. Her phone number is 510-882-9992. She's located in El Cerrito.
LL
A very good contact is Howard Neal, if he can't help you he
certainly knows who can. His contact info: (510) 339-0233;
http://www.nealaw.com/contact.html Steve
Lawyer to Help With Mortgage Motification
Aug 2010
We have a home in Albany with a REALLY bad mortgage. It's
worth more than we bought it, and we have great credit and
a good income, yet nobody will refinance with us. In 4
years, our payments will increase to the point where we
will no longer be able to afford this already-unaffordable
house. Yes, I know we got in over our heads, so no
lectures, please. We would love to have the names of a few
good real estate attorneys who can renegotiate this loan
for us.
Good credit, good income, bad mortgage
I would recommend that you contact your mortgagor directly
before hiring an attorney to see if they will work with you.
The loan modification process is not a legal one (although
it does tend to be tedious) so it is something you can
pursue on your own.
Typically, the first step would be to submit a loan
modification application. Some lenders have their own forms
while some use the government issued form
(www.makinghomeaffordable.gov). You can check with your
lender to see how to get started. In addition to just
filling out the application you will likely need to provide
them with supporting financial documentation and a hardship
affidavit explaining why you need the modification.
An FYI - in my experience - banks are not granting principal
reductions, but are modifying loans to a fixed rate.
However, they do tend to be more willing to work with
clients that have fallen behind rather than ones that are
still able to make regular payments.
Finally, if you decide to hire an attorney please note that
per Cal. Senate bill 94, attorneys can not accept advance
fees for loan modifications. Additionally, I would not
accept the services of anyone who guarantees a loan
modification because, ultimately, the decision is up to the
mortgagor and anyone who promises otherwise probably isn't
being honest. SW
If you have good credit, you do NOT need an attorney.
Contact BofA or Wells or Chase directly and work with them.
You should set aside an entire day to spend on the
telephone with these banks. It is a LONG and TEDIOUS
process, but these days, that is what it is. As a warning,
if your mortgage is well over $1M, it's much harder to find
a bank to refi. In that case, you might want to get two
loans, a 1st that is conforming, with a good interest rate,
and the 2nd, which is non-conforming, at a much higher rate,
that you can try and pay off faster.
I must assume you are in a teaser rate variable loan.
New laws prevent up front charges for loan modificatins, so
no one reputable does them. You are on your own! Work with
your current lender
A refinance is your best way out. Rates are low, but not as
low as you now have. there are some no qual and streamling
refinacnes that can get you down to between 4 and 5.5%
rates.
Henry, mortgage broker
July 2010
We purchased a house in Berkeley over a year ago. The
sellers stated on the sales contract one corner of the
basement will become damp during heavy rains and that the
rest of the basement will remain dry. It turns out they
or the realtor lied. During any rain, including the first
rain of the winter the basement floods with a foot or more
of water or 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of water. The
flooding has shorted out the heater, (we had to have it
replaced, ($3,000), water heater needs to be replaced from
the due to the flooding, $3,500).
To fix the flooding problem we've been given estimates of
$40-$50k. We've been in mediation and have an arbitration
clause. The seller's realtors are being complete jerks
saying the 3,000-5,000 gallons of water falls under the
definition of dampness. Only a realtor would the dampness
equates to a swimming pool.
I'm looking for an attorney who is familiar with real
estate law to possibly represent us in an action against
the seller.
Any reconditions?
After dealing with the seller's realtors would prefer the
biggest a--hole attorney.
Thanks
ANON
For Real Estate issues, I recommend:
Robert W. Richardson
Richardson & Wilhelmy
1801 N. California Blvd., Suite 103
Walnut Creek CA 94596
925.934.7700
925.934.6090 (fax)
rwr@r-wlawfirm.com
Good luck!
Scott, Wills, Trusts, Probate & Business Law
Well I've seen this guy in action on two different
occasions and both times he worked his butt off for a win
for me. He is methodical, professional, and I highly
recommend him. His name is Thomas Eastridge, you can reach
him at 510-530-1700.
Dana
You may try Jean Shrem, who is a real estate
attorney who has also worked as a real estate agent,so she
knows all the aspects of
your type of real estate law case,
882-9992,http://www.shremlaw.com/. I think you will find her
smart, assertive, and clear.
Reba
I am sorry for the situation you are in. I highly
recommend you talk to Deb Graceffa. Deb is a real estate
attorney in Oakland. She also was a real estate agent and
still holds the license. She specializes in breaches of
duty by parties and realtors in real estate transactions.
She is very sharp. She has a lot of experience with
failure to disclose cases. Deb's number is 510 251-2000.
Her email is deb@ggllp.net
Good luck, Lan
Excellent real estate attorney who deals with construction
defects is
Jeff Leon, Leon & Leon, Oakland, phone 208-6600.
Had experience
I highly recommend J.J. Minioza at my firm, Ericksen
Arbuthnot. You can reach him at (510) 832-7770. Please
let him know that I referred you through BPN! :-)
Our firm website is www.ericksenarbuthnot.com if you are
interested in looking into the firm and J.J. Minioza's
bio/resume.
Karen
Great, experienced real estate attorney in Berkeley: John Gutierrez has
more than a decade of experience handling real estate law issues
(planning and entitlement matters, transactional issues, property rights
issues, landlord/tenant matters). He knows the law intimately, and is also
very familiar with the particular interpretations and issues relevant to real
estate matters in Berkeley and Oakland. (He's well known in both cities.) I
highly recommend him: (510) 647-0600.
- a Berkeley realtor who's used his svcs
Jan 2010
I need a reference for a savvy, tell-you-how-it-is, real
estate lawyer. I would like to seek advice on what to do
with our house now that it's underwater. Thank you in
advance.
T
I have a great lawyer based in Walnut Creek and San
Francisco. She is a wonderful person. Her name is Angela de
la Housaye. Her number is 925-944-3300.
Debbie H
Aug 2009
We would like some recommendations on a real estate attorney preferably
in East Bay or San Francisco and is familiar with home warranty issues
with homebuilders and residential property transactions.
We prefer to work with someone who is experienced, approachable, not
pushy, and patient with his clients.
I recommend you talk to Chad Gallagher at Miller Starr Regalia. The firm
specializes in real estate and property law (they wrote THE book used by
most law schools). Chad is a transactional attorney who takes care of his
clients and has a great temperament.
Chad A. Gallagher
MILLER STARR REGALIA
T 925-935-9400
cag@msrlegal.com
www.msrlegal.com
Good luck
Alice Akawie is great. Very clear, responsive, not pushy. Her office is in
downtown Oakland. 510-874-7200.
k
I highly recommend Chris Teng at Guichard, Teng and Portello in Concord.
Chris has years of experience and really cares about his clients. He is
very cost conscious on behalf of his client and tries to resolve the issue
at hand with efficiency but without compromising integrity. He's a nice
guy with a great sense of humor as well! He can be reached at 925.459-8440
or email at cteng@gtlaw.net. Website: www.gtlaw.net
Marika
May 2009
We are looking for a Real Estate Attorney that has experience
writing Vacation Home Partnerships. We purchased a cabin in
Twain Harte with a partner and are now seeking to get
everything down in writing. Any recommendations would be most
welcome.
50/50 Partners
I recommend attorney, Robert Jacobs @ http://www.bobjacobs.net/
My partner and I found him to be knowledgeable. He answered all
our questions in a manner easy to understand. We were very
satisfied with his service. We will return to him whenever legal
real estate questions arise in the future.
Bertha
For real estate legal questions I have a wonderful lawyer, Kendall
Patton. Formerly in SF, he now work at CARR McCLELLAN INGERSOLL
THOMPSON & HORN, in Burlingame. He has assisted me in several
different areas of real estate law. I have found him consistently
well informed, helpful, and timely, as well as just being an all
around nice person. I recommend him without reservations. And he
does work with vacation home partnerships (I checked with him
before writing this). If you are interested, please contact him
at:
Kendall Patton
kpatton@carr-mcclellan.com
(650) 696-2522
Good luck, Caroline
Sept 2008
Looking for a real estate attorney. We're looking at buying a home
in Berkeley with my parents (a gift from them for a down payment or
buying the house together, or another plan). We're looking for a
real estate attorney that's creative, knows the tax issues with
joint purchases and can help us decide the best approach. In the
East Bay would be helpful.
Thanks.
Thomas Eastridge @287-9651, in Oakland. Hard working, ethical
(really), and if he can't help you, he will refer you to
someone who can. He has handled several matters for me and I
highly recommend him.
Isen
I would highly recommend Rick Addicks. (415) 883-0365.
www.rickaddicks.com. He is a lawyer and a real estate broker.
He's also a part time fire fighter and a nice guy. He knows real
estate law really well. He is also the only lawyer I've ever met
who has called me on a weekend to do business! He is thorough
and has a great eye for detail.
He is based in Marin but I do all of my work with him over the
phone. I bought a cheap paper scanner and just email him copies
of my documents that I want reviewed. He helped me to sell a
property in Marin and buy a property in Berkeley. I didn't use a
real estate broker. It cost me about $5000 in legal fees, but I
saved over $50,000 in broker fees.
For purchasing a house, the strategy he and I used was to bid
lower than price I actually wanted pay, but credit that amount
(my broker's fee) back to the seller. The net payment to the
seller is exactly the same, and the purchase price is also less
meaning lower property taxes.
You will have to do more work but you can save a lot of money.
Steve
For the poster looking for a good real estate attorney, call
Brian Ripley! Boy has he ever saved me.
Brian Ripley, Esquire
ripleyesq@gmail.com
415-725-8947
(the area code isn't east bay but Brian is in Oakland)
jessica
Sept 2007
I was looking to find a good Real Estate Attorney that specializes in construction
defects and nondisclosures.
Lisa
Lisa- You didn't provide many details about your situation, but I suggest calling
the Shannon B. Jones Law Group at 925-835-2315. The firm specializes in real
estate litigation, including construction defect and disclosure issues. Here is a
link to the website: www.calrealestatelaw.com. I also work for the firm and find
the attorneys extremely knowledgeable and experienced. Good luck.
Hannah
June 2006
We're planning to subdivide the Oakland property our house is on
and essentially sell our backyard to our neighbor. (I know, it's
an unusual situation -- we happen to have a large, double lot and
we don't use it.) We're looking for an attorney specializing in
real estate to help us draft a private contract with our
neighbor, who wants to purchase the property. Does anyone have
any reference to a professional who does NOT charge exorbitantly
and works in the East Bay? We already have a buyer, so I'd like
to avoid paying a big commission to a real estate agent if we can
anon
I recommend Joanna Kozubal- you can call her to inquire at 415-
350-9967. My husband is a mortgage broker and refers his clients to her. allison
ag_g
I know a wonderful real estate attorney in Oakland, Thomas Eastridge. His phone # is
510.287.9651. He looks over all of my real estate contracts and I have found him to be
thorough, conscientious, and a hell of a nice guy.
I will recommend Deb Graceffa. She is both a realtor and attorney
and she locates in Oakland by Embarcadero. You can contact her at
deb[at]gandgllp.com or 510-459-7623. She is great. Dianne W
March 2006
My wife and I are in need of a real estate attorney to help us
draw up the proper paperwork for selling our home ourselves.
We would like to work with someone who has a proven track
record and is in the Richmond/Pinole area.
jts
Try Gregory Lewis. He's both an attorney who knows real estate
law and he's a licensed real estate broker... so it's a two for
one. I have not hired him, but rather my husband knows him
professionally and I know him socially. He is really honest, easy
going, and smart (UC Berkeley grad, Stanford MBA, and USF Law).
He's done ''For-Sale By Owners'' work in the East Bay and San
Francisco since 1989.
Gregory Lewis
(510) 245-2633
125 University, Berkeley, CA 94710
July 2002
Can anyone recommend a good commercial property attorney
in Berkeley/Oakland? I need to sell my portion of a
family restaurant and need honest, solid guidance.
Thanks.
Bridget
For issues regarding personal and commercial real estate,
I highly recommend Jim Fisher (2340 Lakeshore Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94606, (510) 834-0396). He has extensive
(15+ years) experience in many areas of real estate law.
Moreover, he is very honest and thorough in his work.
If he isn't the best person for the case, he will provide
you with referrals.
SJ
In response to the person looking for a commercial real
estate attorney and in response to an older listing
from someone looking for an attorney for a dispute with
a previous homeowner, I highly recommend Charles Bronitsky.
His office is in Redwood City and phone number is 650-780-3500.
My husband and I purchased a house about 2 years ago
and incurred major expenses for something we felt should
have been disclosed. We began with one attorney who
charged $$$ and merely made a few phone calls.
Concerned about escalating expenses, we switched to
Charlie. He was up front with us, kept the process
moving, and offered sound advice, all the while being
conscious of our limited budget for his services. We
proceeded toward mediation and when the other side
became unreasonable, started to head to arbitration.
Charlie managed to negotiate a satisfactory settlement
for us before things escalated further. We were able
to handle everything by phone and email and did not
have to go to Redwood City to meet him or pay for his
time for a trip to the East Bay. We will definitely
use him again if the need arises.
Happy to no longer be in legal limbo
March 2002
Can anyone recommend a good commercial property attorney
in Berkeley/Oakland? I need to sell my portion of a
family restaurant and need honest, solid guidance.
Thanks.
Bridget
Call the Tarpoff & Talbert realtors in Oakland (655-3001)
and explain your problem. We had a major problem with
a deal last year and called them on the off chance they
knew someone, since they write such a useful column in
the local weekly papers. They gave us the name of an
attorney, whom we ended up not using for reasons that
had NOTHING to do with him, but I was very impressed
with him. He was on vacation in Newfoundland and
responded to my voicemail within a few hours and
offered to help long distance. Didn't save his name
so I can only suggest you start where we did. Good
luck.
For commerical real estate issues, contact Andy Cohen
at Janin, Morgan & Brenner (415) 981-0670. He is very
experienced, honest, and extremely thorough. He and his
partner, Peter Wohlfeiler, both have 18+ years in the
field and have seen virtually every situation and
resolved almost every type of real estate issue. I
recommend them without reservation.
egc
Jan 2004
We are looking for a real-estate lawyer, preferrably in the
Lamorinda area. We recently purchased a home in Lamorinda, but
have come to realized that there are some issues that we are
faced with, which were never disclosed to us. We would like to
know what our rights and options are.
Thanks.
Anon
I would recommend:
Marshall A. Johnson
Law Office of Marshall Johnson
D/A Financial Building
3 Altarinda Road, Suite 201
Orinda, California 94563
marshall at propertylawgroup.com
He has worked on issues such as yours, and he is very upfront
and honest about possible outcomes, approaches, etc.
sj
July 2003
I am searching for a good real estate lawyer in the East
Bay to take on a case involving my home (defective
construction and lack of disclosure by seller.) I would
appreciate it if you could indicate the basis of your
recommendation.
Jy
My husband and his partner are real estate lawyers who were
corporate counsel for Fidelity National Title before going
into private practice. They handle everything from boundary
disputes to construction defects. Give them a call: Cliff
Baker and Jeff Beeby, Baker & Beeby, 510/531-4115.
Dashka
I highly recommend Walter K. Pyle, Attorney at Law. He
handles real estate/construction litigation. He is a very
skilled lawyer with whom I've had experience. He
knows how to take a case to trial but is a skilled
negotiator. He is very intuned to his clients. He's very
honest and thorough and his credentials are quite
impressive. I know he's handled many non-disclosure
cases with a good success rate.
Give him a call. His office is in Downtown Berkeley.
(510)849-4424
A professional collegue.
I recommend my husband, Sterling Johnson. He's a great
lawyer. He has 25 years experience in construction
contract disputes in the Bay Area. He's also been teaching
legal aspects of construction contracting, on and off for
the past 20 years, at the Building Education Center in
Berkeley.
In his law practice Sterling does an excellent job of
working with his clients to to identify and choose legal
strategies that match his client's value systems. He can
be reached at 510 632 0225 or sterlingjo@earthling.net.
Maryann
I highly recommend Walter K. Pyle, Attorney at Law for real
estate and construction matters. His office is in downtown
Berkeley -- (510)849-4424. He is a really good lawyer with
impressive credentials who is thorough, knowledgeable,
and really interested in his clients. He is an experienced
litigator who is able to take a case to trial if necessary but
also can capably negotiate settlements. I've witness his
success, and can't say enough good things about him.
Satisfied and saying so!
August 2002
I am in need of a Real Estate Lawyer. I recently purchased
a home, that now, after only 2 months of residing in is
showing major stuctural problems which will cost me a
tremendous amount. After having an engineer examine
cracking in the foundation and exterior stucco, I have
decided to take legal action on the grounds of information
undisclosed during the purchase process. My realtor -
Coldwell Banker is doing very little to nothing to help.
Does anyone have any advice or recommendations for a real
estate lawyer?
Diana
One of the top real estate attorneys in No. California is
Richard Goodman, Esq. (Oakland directory) I have used him
for the obstructed sale of a high-end condo (the homeowners'
assn. had abandoned their fiduciary resp. in fixing the
communal courtyard), reinforcing a surveyed property line,
and making a gen. contractor make financial reparation on
some damage and incompetence. Besides being an excellent
attorney, who will also tell you if you shouldn't pursue
legal action because of a baseless claim, opposing counsel
tends to ''throw in the towel'' when they see his name--he is
that good and reknown. He is very much worth the cost, and
often your homeowners will kick in for some of the legal
expenses. Tell him Danna sent you. G
Danna
March 2002
We are seeking an experienced attorney in the field of real estate. Our
problem is that after we bought our home we found that the sellers had
failed to disclose some major problems with the property - one of which
has cost us 10's of thousands of dollars to rectify. In some cases they told
us out right lies. We need someone who has been down this road before
and can tell us if we have a case and can pursue it. The previous sellers
and their realtor are pretty aggressive people so we need someone who
can deal with that type of personality. thanks. Anonymous
We found a great real estate lawyer in Berkeley who
helped us through a very difficult situation. His name is
John Gutierrez - 510-644-1904. I highly recommend
him!
I used Bob Sheldon of Sheldon and Mankin in Walnut
Creek to represent me in a similar situation to the one
you describe. He can be reached at 925 935-0300 or at
rsheldon at smlawyers.com. The strength of your case
will depend on what was disclosed to you by the seller
and the seller's agent, what inspections you yourself
made to find out about the condition of the property and
what you can show the seller had prior knowledge of
and did not disclose to you.
Mary.
I'm a trial lawyer with experience in real estate
litigation matters. One of the cases I am currently
handling is a suit by the purchaser of a condominium
and a homeowner's association against the seller of the
condo for failing to disclose extensive dry rot and for
having work performed without a valid permit (in spite
of disclosures that assured the potential buyers that all
work was done pursuant to valid permits and in
compliance with all applicable building codes).
I would be happy to talk with you about your case. If it
is as you say and there were deliberate
misrepresentations (and if we could prove them), you
may well have a case worth pursuing. Feel free to give
me a call to discuss it. TEL: 510-845-6442
For issues regarding personal and commercial real
estate, I highly recommend Jim Fisher (2340 Lakeshore
Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606, (510) 834-0396). He has
extensive (15+ years) experience in many areas of real
estate law. Moreover, he is very honest and thorough in
his work. If he isn't the best person for the case, he will
provide you with referrals.
SJ
I recommend Barry Gross in Oakland. He's very
experienced, came highly recommended, & was very
helpful to me. 834-5020. Tell him I referred you from
this Parents Network. Good luck!
Vicki
Feb 2000
Attorney specializing in real estate needed to draft a private contract
among loan cosigners/nominal purchasers of a house. Does anyone have any
reference to a professional who does not charge exorbitantly and works in
the East Bay? Referrals to a good referral service also welcome.
Vera
My name is Kari Erickson Levine, and I work with Seyfarth, Shaw,
Fairweather and Geraldson in San
Francisco. However, I live Berkeley. I have extensive experience in Real
Estate and
Construction law. Please give me a call and we can talk about your case. I
can be reached at
415.397.2823 during business hours, and at 510.848.1494 during the
evenings. I hope to talk to
you.
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