How to find a short sale attorney

Finding the right person to handle any legal transaction related to your home can be a difficult challenge. It’s hard to know who has the right skills and certifications, let alone who will truly be the best qualified with experience and knowledge for your particular circumstance. This is especially true if you are facing the potential of a short sale. Even if you’re trying to find a short sale attorney in Los Angeles, Phoenix, or other areas particularly hard hit by the housing crisis, there’s still a relative lack of attorneys with real experience in home loan modification and debt relief. . These tips will help you find someone who will represent your case well.

Look for someone with proven experience

Having the technical qualifications to represent someone and having the actual practical knowledge are two very different things. After determining that your chosen attorney has the knowledge and is legally authorized to represent you, you should begin asking questions about their experience in the area. How long have they been representing homeowners? What other types of cases do you handle? How have your previous cases turned out? Asking these questions will help you determine whether or not they are the right person to care for you.

Contact local homeowner assistance programs

Government-run programs and non-profit organizations can often help you find a qualified attorney. They will at least be able to advise you on some common indicators for an unqualified person. They may provide references or have partnerships with local businesses that have proven particularly helpful. Remember that all attorneys must pass the local bar exam and have a license to practice law, so if you’re having a hard time finding someone (or want to verify their ability to represent you), you can always check there.

educate yourself

A home loan modification expert will have a lot of specialized knowledge; that’s why he wants his help in the first place. But that doesn’t mean you have to go into the search process totally blind. Make sure you know the basics of what you’re looking for before you start any type of search. For example, are you looking to keep your home, or do you think you’d be better off trying to cut your losses through a short sale?

If you’re not sure, there’s nothing wrong with getting multiple opinions. A good attorney will encourage you to educate yourself as much as possible, to learn about what is going on and what they are doing to help you. The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be to handle anything that might happen during the case, and the more likely you’ll find yourself working with a great attorney.