How do you pick a good conveyancing lawyer?

Here are my top 6 tips:

1. Responsive – when you need them you can get a solicitor on the phone
2. Knowledgeable – they know what they are talking about and speak about it in clear language
3. Practical- they are prepared not just to give you advice but make practical suggestions and recommendations (”If I were you this is what I would do ….”)
4. Personal – they take the time to understand what is important to you and the particular property
5. Recommended – other clients are saying … these guys are good. Read what clients are saying about us.
6. Price - You will get what you pay for, but the price must be fair and fixed

Intrested in a Conveyancing Quote from a firm that seeks to live this. Request a conveyancing quote from us online now.

The Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Regulations 1989 has now been amended to remove the exemption that previously allowed Temporary Residents to buy residential real estate in Australia without FIRB approval.  Contracts entered into on or after 24 April 2010 by Temporary Residents to buy residential real estate in Australia must have FIRB approval.

Our Conveyancing Solicitors and Property Lawyers can assist you with FIRB and all your Conveyancing and Property Law needs.

As you are no doubt aware, from 1 January 2010 sellers  of residential property in Queensland need to supply a Sustainability Declaration to prospective buyers outlining the energy and water saving attributes of their home, townhouse or unit.

A new, simpler version of the sustainability declaration was released on 4 February 2010 following feedback from the public and industry.

The previous version of the form will still be accepted however use of the new version is encouraged.  For further information see: the Queensland Government Web Site

Our Brisbane Conveyancing Solicitors & Gold Coast Conveyancing Lawyers are right up to date.

More information: www.corneyandlind.com.au

Does the lawyer you are intending to engage to handle your conveyance have Body Corporate Law skills? Engage a law firm with Body Corporate law experience if you really want to be protected.

Key information, to determine what the go forward sinking fund body corporate levies may be, when you are considering purchasing a property in a community title development is:

• The Sinking Fund Forecast
• Minutes of Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings of the Body Corporate for the last few years
• Minutes of Body Committee meetings for at least the last year

In my opinion it is best to get hold of this information before you indicate what you are prepared to pay for the property. Why? If significant sinking fund body corporate levies are coming this is going to have a downward effect on market value.

Once you have these documents what do you need to look at?

1. How up to date is the Sinking Fund Forecast?
2. Have major expenditure items in the Sinking Fund Forecast actually be carried out when scheduled by the forecast?
3. Has there been any additional recent major sink fund expenditure that was not forecast by the Sinking Fund Forecast?
4. Do the minutes hint at any other major work required on the building that is not allowed for in the Sinking Fund forecast?
5. Once these questions are answered you can start to make some estimates of what the sinking fund levies for the next few years may be.

This is an example of how practical our Property, Conveyancing and Body Corporate Lawyers are. We have lawyers with Body Corporate Law experience in both our Brisbane and Gold Coast offices.

More information: www.corneyandlind.com.au

One key, when buying property, is to make sure that you have a written unconditional finance approvalfrom your financier before your purchase contract become unconditional as to finance.

Conditions such as:

• Subject to a satisfactory valuation;
• Subject to lenders mortgagee insurer approval,

are often in the fine print.

If these conditions apply, you would be wise to have these conditions satisfied before having an unconditional commitment to proceed to settlement of your purchase.

If you are purchasing a property off the plan you need to be aware the the financier will usually want to formally value the property once construction is complete. If this applies to you you may want to consider adding a condition to your purchase contract that the purchase is subject to it valuing up at a certain level once construction is completed. This is likely to be resisted by vendors but in a buyer’s market there is little harm in asking.

Finally you need to be aware that almost every finance approval that I have read techinally allows the bank to “pull the plug” and not advance the money at any moment right up until the time the money is actually advanced. This risk is perhaps small as after all banks are in the business of lending money however in a context where banking shocks are not unknown this little talked about risk perhaps needs to be aired.

All good reasons to get our Property and Conveyancing legal team in your corner. So whether you need Conveyancing in Brisbane, the Gold Coast or anywhere in Queensland let our Conveyancing Solicitors look after you. You will notice the difference.

For more details of how the team at Corney & Lind can help you see our web site.