Drafting purchase agreements
Title and escrow services
Coordinating transactions
Reviewing closing documents
Processing closings
Attending closings
Quiet title actions
Cloud title
Title insurance
Mortgage foreclosure
Land contract forfeiture
Lis pendens
All other components of the "sale by owner" transaction

Talk to neighbors and other people with "For Sale" signs.
Ask a real estate agent to refer you to a lawyer.
Ask your pastor, rabbi or other people where your worship.
The American Bar Association will refer you to local real estate attorneys, but,
The Lawyers.com site seems better designed to help you find a local attorney. The site is loaded with information for people seeking legal help.

Ask your lawyer to give you any information you will need to make the closing of your sale timely and without any surprises.

If there is anything that will hold up or quash your deal you want advance notice so you can take care of the problem now.

Count on being charged for your lawyers’ services but it’s the old adage pay me now or pay me later.

Ask your lawyer to give you some insight into your mortgage situation. He can give you details and options based on your current loan that perhaps will help your sale. At the very least the lawyer can give you questions to ask at your lending institution i.e. is your mortgage assumable? If the interest rate and terms are attractive the purchaser may want to assume your current mortgage. All good stuff to know in advance of your sale. Likewise your mortgage may need to be removed so the purchaser can arrange their own financing. What are the ramifications with this, will it be expensive to remove? Anybody who is not an New Jersey real estate lawyer or licensed realtor and who is considering a do-it-yourself contract to buy or sell an home.
Take the following test to see if you have the knowledge necessary to prepare a real estate contract and related documents for the purchase or sale of a home that will comply with local and federal law. If you do not have the required knowledge and you prepare your own contract and related documents, there is a high probability that you will violate one or more applicable local and federal laws.

It is easy to find a real estate purchase agreement on the internet, in a software program purchased off the shelf at a store, an office supply store or even in the materials obtained from a national real estate guru. Although you may save some money you would spend for legal fees by preparing the documents yourself, the initial savings may be offset by the liability caused by defective documents and a lawsuit for damages brought by the other party.

While selling FSBO is mostly do-it-yourself real estate, there are some things best left up to the professionals. Obtaining a lawyer may cost a little extra money, but it’s an invaluable investment. A lawyer who specializes in real estate will not only protect your interests but help you make a sales transaction, evaluate offers and mortgages, and prepare and review contracts. Lawyers can also act as your escrow agent and will advise you on what legal forms you’ll need to complete during the negotiations and closing process. Depending on the state you live in, you will either need to get a lawyer or go through a title insurance company.