Attorney at closing? Absolutely necessary or overkill?

[Carlton Wood]

I'm too weeks from closing on a four family house in Delaware county PA (my first property) and my attorney and my agent have conflicting schedules on closing day. I am aware some states require you have an attorney present during closing but Pennsylvania does not. My agent is telling me none of her clients ever bring an attorney to closing and as long as he's reviewed all of my documents prior to closing i don't really need him there. But of course she'd say that, shes trying get this closing over with on closing day at a time convenient for her. I've already paid the attorney a flat fee that pays for him coming to closing. At the same time i don't want to incur more cost by pushing back closing unless its necessary. If my lawyer has reviewed all documentation prior to closing do i need him at closing??? would it be worth it to pay a little more and push closing to a day that works for him or is him being there overkill????

[Jay Hinrichs]

Originally posted by @Dennis M.:

That would be incredibly foolish in my opinion . I’m in pa and I’m sure glad my attorney was there at closing! . Look Your going to be signing a slew of paperwork and some of that may not be in your best interest to just sign off on . you want a careful eye who does this everyday to be right there over seeing what each paper means legally for you and telling the implications of each signature . I would say Don’t take a risk if you don’t need to . There are enough risks in real estate already

that sure would make for a long closing... if you had to have an attorney review each doc in real time .. ESH.

Its regional though out West NO attorney goes to a closing unless its some 100 million dollar deal or something.

and we NEVER have the buyer and seller at the same time and NO one cuts checks on the spot .. its usually a two or three day process.

buyer goes in and signs loan docs have to go back to the bank for review before they will fund.. bank funds the next day.

they wont release the funds until they get their recording numbers.. once that happens its too late to wire.. and NO one does checks its all wires.. they will then courier their checks to the brokers offices and wire sellers there proceeds..

I don't know how you guys do it when you try to cram all that into one closing.. and I would NEVER accept a paper check for sellers proceeds from an attorney firm.. it always has to be wired.. I want my funds good the minute they hit my account.

but that all said you attorney should get a copy of the closings docs review them in his office give you the go ahead you go in and sign..

I know one issue is every thing these days is so last minute and the East coast closings attorneys are making changes to the HUDs during the closings  its quite foreign to how we do things.  I close a bunch in PA probably 150 plus deals in the last few years never once went to a closing..  nor do I want to.