We recently had the opportunity to sit down with real estate attorney, Annah Toates of the Toates Law Firm. Annah is a long time Greenville resident and has been practicing law for over 7 years in the community. Annah’s firm can assist with your Estate Planning needs. The Toates Law Firm prides themselves on being Notably Different. Annah and her team strive to make the home buying process as smooth as possible. Communication and transparency are key.
We had the opportunity to pick Annah’s brain about the home buying process. We asked Annah what she recommends as first steps to buying a home:
- Talk to your Financial Advisor - Determine your cash position.
- Call your Lender - This will help you determine how much you qualify for.
- If you do not have a Lender we both have recommendations of great Lenders in the area.
- Call your Realtor - Real Estate agents have a good understanding of the market and be your advocate in negotiations and save you money.
- If you do not have a Realtor, we both have recommendations of great Realtors in the area. Please reach out.
After you have a contract on a home and the lender is working on the mortgage, you need to let your advisor/banker know how much cash you need for closing. Annah recommends letting them know a rough estimate at least a week prior to closing to ensure the funds are available and ready to wire. This will ensure your closing is not delayed. Often you will not know the exact dollar amount until the day before closing so she recommends wiring at little extra. They can always cut you a check at the closing table. Another option is to bring your checkbook to cut a personal check for the difference. You will also need to bring your driver’s license to the closing.
The state of South Carolina requires an attorney to be involved in any real estate transaction. The Toates Law Firm can also assist you with refinances, HELOCs, and any other real estate transaction.
Outside of real estate transactions, the attorneys at Toates Law Firm can assist with your estate planning needs. They can draft and execute Wills, Durable Power of Attorneys, Health Care Power of Attorneys (Living Wills), and Simple Revocable Trust. This is very important now that you are the owner of a home, which is often one of your largest assets.
We can not thank Annah and her team enough for taking the time to chat with us and help guide us to a smooth real estate closing. Please give Toates Law Firm or Global View Investment Advisors a call with any questions. We would be happy to assist you.
