Need for attorney when purchasing property in different states

[Lily B.]

We've purchased properties in TX, VA, and NJ. While in TX and VA the convention was to go about it without an attorney; we simply worked with the agents to draft and edit the contracts and addenda, in NJ it seems to be a shock to everyone that we would even consider buying without an attorney. Is it so that state-specific convention varies? For professionals in NJ specifically, what's your take? Is it truly foolishly crazy of us to even consider buying without an attorney? In TX and VA, the question never even came up and it seemed like normal course of business to just go through the process with the agents.