Residential Real Estate Attorney for Long Island Buyers and Sellers
Contract to closing, handled by a firm that has closed hundreds of Long Island homes since 2006. You get direct answers, clean title, and a closing that happens on time.
The Biggest Purchase of Your Life Deserves More Than a Form Contract
Buying or selling a home on Long Island is a legal transaction before it is anything else, and our real estate law practice was built around getting it right. New York requires attorneys at the closing table, but there is a difference between an attorney who processes your file and one who actually reads your contract, questions your title report, and picks up the phone when something goes sideways two days before closing.
Sugarman Law has handled residential purchases and sales across Suffolk and Nassau County since 2006. Colonials in Deer Park, capes in Levittown, splanches in Massapequa, condos, co-ops, new construction. Shari Sugarman and associate attorney Cynthia Park, who heads the firm's real estate division with over a decade in the industry, review every deal personally.
Most of the houses trading hands here were built between 1950 and 1990. That means decades of owners, and decades of chances for something to go wrong on paper: an extension the town never signed off on, a pool without a permit, a paid-off mortgage nobody discharged. Those problems do not show up in the listing photos. They show up in the title report, and they become your problem the moment you close without catching them.
Our job is to catch them first. We review the contract before you sign, negotiate terms that protect your deposit, clear title issues before they delay your closing, and walk you through every document you sign at the table. If you want to know exactly what that looks like day to day, our plain-English guide to what a closing attorney does in New York covers the whole timeline.
"My Agent Is Handling It. Why Do I Need My Own Attorney?"
Your agent and your attorney do different jobs, and only one of them owes you legal advice. Here is the honest split.
What Your Real Estate Agent Does
- Markets the home or finds you one, and negotiates the price and basic deal terms
- Coordinates showings, open houses, and the offer process
- Gets paid by commission when the deal closes, which means their incentive is a closed deal
- Cannot draft contract riders, interpret title exceptions, or give you legal advice. In New York, that would be practicing law without a license
What Your Attorney Does
- Reviews and negotiates the contract itself: contingencies, deposit protection, what happens if the deal falls apart
- Orders and scrutinizes the title search, then forces problems to be fixed before you close
- Owes you a fiduciary duty. Our only job is protecting your interests, not closing at any cost
- Sits next to you at closing, explains every document, and verifies every number on the settlement statement
Your Transaction, Step by Step
Pick your side of the table. This is the path we walk with you, and roughly where the 30 to 60 days between accepted offer and closing day actually go.
1. Your Offer Is Accepted
The seller's attorney drafts the contract. Do not sign anything yet. Send it to us the day you receive it, along with your inspection report if you have one.
2. Contract Review and Negotiation
We review every term, add riders that protect your deposit and your mortgage contingency, negotiate repairs or credits from the inspection, and only then have you sign. Your down payment goes into escrow, not the seller's pocket.
3. Title Search Ordered
We order a full title search and examine what comes back: liens, judgments, open permits, missing certificates of occupancy, undischarged mortgages. Anything that clouds ownership gets flagged and pushed back to the seller to fix.
4. Mortgage Commitment
Your lender underwrites the loan while we handle title. If the bank's deadline is at risk, we protect your contingency so your deposit is never exposed.
5. Clear to Close
Title is clean, the loan is committed, and we schedule closing with all parties. You do a final walkthrough of the home the day before or the morning of.
6. Closing Day
We sit with you at the table, explain each document before you sign it, verify the settlement statement line by line, and hand you the keys. The house is yours, on paper and in fact.
1. You Accept an Offer
We draft the contract of sale with terms that protect you: a realistic closing date, clear rules on what stays with the house, and language that keeps you from being dragged along by a buyer who cannot perform.
2. Buyer's Attorney Review
The buyer's side proposes changes. We negotiate the riders, hold the line on your deal terms, and collect the buyer's down payment into escrow once contracts are signed.
3. Title Issues Surface
The buyer's title search will find whatever is attached to your property, sometimes things you never knew about. An old home equity line, a permit your contractor never closed out. We resolve them now so they cannot blow up your closing later.
4. Payoffs and Paperwork
We order your mortgage payoff letters, prepare the deed and transfer documents, and calculate the adjustments for taxes and utilities so the settlement statement is right the first time.
5. Clear to Close
The buyer's financing is committed and title is clean. We schedule the closing and confirm the numbers with every party in advance.
6. Closing Day
You sign the deed, we verify the funds, and the proceeds go where they belong: to you. If you have already moved out of state, we can handle this step without you in the room.
What We Catch That Would Have Become Your Problem
These are the three most common surprises in Long Island title reports. Every one of them is fixable before closing and expensive after.
Open Permits and Missing COs
That finished basement, deck, or extension needed a certificate of occupancy. When the town never issued one, the buyer inherits the legalization headache. We make the seller resolve it, or price it into the deal, before contracts bind you.
Liens and Judgments
Unpaid contractors, old tax bills, and court judgments attach to the property, not the person. A lien that survives closing is collectible from the new owner. We get them paid, released, and proven released in writing.
Undischarged Mortgages
A loan the seller paid off fifteen years ago can still sit on the record because the bank never filed the discharge. Until it is cleared, the property cannot transfer clean. We track down the proof and get it off the title.
Bought and sold my house with Sugarman Law and they were excellent both times. Took care of just about everything and made the very stressful times as easy as possible.Robert Weilbrenner, Google Review
The Rest of the Transaction, Covered
Closing Attorney Services
Everything that happens at and before the closing table, from settlement statement review to recording the deed.
Selling Without an Agent
For sale by owner? An attorney becomes your entire deal team. We draft the contract and run the transaction for a flat, predictable rate.
After You Buy: Protect It
A new home is the moment most families finally write a will. We handle wills, trusts, and deeds under one roof, so your biggest asset passes the way you intend.
Local Counsel, County by County
Our office sits at 375 Commack Road in Deer Park, and we close transactions across both counties. If you want an attorney who knows your town's quirks, start here.
Residential Real Estate FAQ
Do I need my own attorney to buy a home on Long Island?
Yes. New York real estate practice requires attorneys to prepare and negotiate the contract of sale, and the bank's attorney represents the bank, not you. Your own attorney is the only person at the table whose sole job is protecting your money and your ownership rights.
How long does a residential closing take?
Most Long Island closings run 30 to 60 days from signed contract to closing table. Cash deals move faster. Delays usually come from lender underwriting or title problems, which is exactly why we order title early and push issues back to the seller immediately.
What happens if the title search finds a problem?
It gets fixed before you close, not after. Liens get paid and released, open permits get closed out or negotiated into the price, and missing discharges get tracked down. A title problem discovered before closing is leverage. The same problem discovered after closing is your expense.
Can you represent me if I'm selling and already moved out of state?
Yes, and we do it regularly. With a power of attorney and coordinated document signing, we complete the entire sale without you traveling back to New York. Sellers who moved to Florida or the Carolinas close with us from their new living rooms.
Do you handle condos, co-ops, and new construction?
All of them. Co-ops in particular have their own layer of board approval, proprietary leases, and building financials that need review. New construction contracts are drafted by the builder's attorneys and lean heavily in the builder's favor until someone pushes back on your behalf.
What does a real estate attorney cost for a home purchase or sale?
Residential representation is typically a flat fee, quoted up front at your free consultation, not an hourly meter running in the background. You will know the number before you commit to anything.
Under Contract Soon? Call Before You Sign.
The best time to bring in your attorney is before the contract binds you. A free consultation costs you nothing and can save the deal.
Tell Us About Your Transaction
Buying, selling, or somewhere in between. Fill out the form and we will reach out to schedule your free consultation, or call 631-964-4418.