Services · Legal
Estate Planning & Legal Services
A home is usually the largest asset a family owns. How it is titled, who inherits it, and what happens if payments fall behind are legal questions as much as real estate ones.
Real Estate Plan works hand-in-hand with an affiliated law office, so legal guidance is built into the transaction instead of bolted on at the end. Contracts move faster, title problems get cured quietly, and estate and distressed matters are handled by an attorney who is already on your team.
What’s included
- Wills, trusts and healthcare directives
- Trust creation, review and funding, and titling property into or out of a trust
- Probate and estate administration, including court-approved sales
- Reverse mortgage foreclosure guidance for heirs and senior homeowners
- Foreclosure defense and loan modification counseling
- Short sale negotiation and counseling
- Deed transfers, title curative work and lien resolution
- Residential and commercial closings and contract review
For Sellers & Heirs
Legal steps and property preparation handled together, so an inherited or distressed home becomes a clean, well-marketed sale.
For Buyers
Careful contract review and confidence that trust, probate and title matters are cured before you commit.
Background
Why this matters
For most families the home is the largest asset they own, which means how it is titled, who inherits it, and what happens if payments fall behind are legal questions every bit as much as real estate ones. Real Estate Plan works hand-in-hand with an affiliated law office, so legal guidance is built into the transaction from the beginning instead of being bolted on at the closing table. Contracts get drafted and reviewed faster, title defects get cured quietly, and estate, probate and distressed matters are handled by an attorney who is already familiar with the property and the plan.
That integration is what allows us to take on the transactions other brokerages avoid: probate and estate sales requiring letters testamentary or court approval, properties held in trusts or LLCs, reverse mortgage foreclosures where heirs need to understand their options quickly, foreclosure defense and loan modifications, and short sales that require lender negotiation. Rather than a homeowner coordinating an attorney, a broker and a contractor who have never spoken to each other, one team runs the whole file. Legal services are provided through our affiliated law office at BestNYAttorney.com.
Estate planning before the sale — the full guide from the book →How It Works
Our process, step by step
- Understand the situationWe identify whether the property sits in an estate, a trust, an LLC or individual ownership, and what that means for the sale.
- Coordinate the attorney earlyOur affiliated law office reviews title, ownership and authority to sell before the home is marketed, not after an offer arrives.
- Cure what needs curingProbate steps, trust titling, deed corrections and lien resolution are handled while the property is being prepared.
- Sell with authority in placeThe home goes to market with the legal path to closing already clear.
- CloseContract, title and closing handled by an attorney who has been on the file from the beginning.
New York is an attorney-state for real estate closings, which means legal counsel is part of every transaction here whether or not it is coordinated well. Having the attorney inside the process from day one is simply a better version of something you were going to do anyway.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can you sell a home that is in probate?
Yes. Probate and estate sales are a core specialty, including court-approved sales and properties requiring letters testamentary. Our affiliated attorney guides each step.
What happens to a reverse mortgage when the owner passes away?
Heirs generally have a limited window to repay, sell or surrender the property. Because the timelines are short and the consequences permanent, this is one of the situations where getting advice quickly matters most.
Do I have to use your affiliated law office?
No. All buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords have the right to choose any real estate broker or attorney they wish.
Every Community We Serve
From Montauk to Manhattan — all of Long Island & New York City
We list and sell homes across every city, town, village and neighborhood in Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Kings, New York and Bronx counties.
Suffolk County
Amagansett, Amityville, Babylon, Bay Shore, Bayport, Bellport, Blue Point, Bohemia, Brentwood, Bridgehampton, Brightwaters, Center Moriches, Centereach, Centerport, Central Islip, Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Copiague, Coram, Cutchogue, Deer Park, Dix Hills, East Hampton, East Islip, East Northport, East Patchogue, East Setauket, Eastport, Elwood, Farmingville, Fort Salonga, Great River, Greenlawn, Greenport, Hampton Bays, Hauppauge, Head of the Harbor, Holbrook, Holtsville, Huntington, Huntington Station, Islandia, Islip, Kings Park, Lake Grove, Lake Ronkonkoma, Lindenhurst, Lloyd Harbor, Manorville, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Mattituck, Medford, Melville, Middle Island, Miller Place, Montauk, Mount Sinai, Nesconset, Nissequogue, North Babylon, Northport, Oakdale, Ocean Beach, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station, Quogue, Ridge, Riverhead, Rocky Point, Ronkonkoma, Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, Sayville, Selden, Shelter Island, Shirley, Shoreham, Smithtown, Sound Beach, Southampton, Southold, St. James, Stony Brook, Wading River, Water Mill, West Babylon, West Islip, Westhampton, Westhampton Beach, Wyandanch, Yaphank
Nassau County
Albertson, Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, Bayville, Bellmore, Bethpage, Brookville, Carle Place, Cedarhurst, East Meadow, East Norwich, East Rockaway, Elmont, Farmingdale, Floral Park, Franklin Square, Freeport, Garden City, Glen Cove, Glen Head, Great Neck, Hempstead, Hewlett, Hicksville, Island Park, Jericho, Kings Point, Lawrence, Levittown, Lido Beach, Locust Valley, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Malverne, Manhasset, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Merrick, Mineola, Muttontown, New Hyde Park, Oceanside, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay, Plainview, Point Lookout, Port Washington, Rockville Centre, Roslyn, Sands Point, Sea Cliff, Seaford, Syosset, Uniondale, Valley Stream, Wantagh, West Hempstead, Westbury, Williston Park, Woodbury, Woodmere
Queens County
Astoria, Bayside, Bellerose, Briarwood, College Point, Corona, Douglaston, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Howard Beach, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Little Neck, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village, Oakland Gardens, Ozone Park, Queens Village, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, Rockaway Beach, Rosedale, St. Albans, Springfield Gardens, Sunnyside, Whitestone, Woodhaven, Woodside
Kings County — Brooklyn
Bay Ridge, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bensonhurst, Boerum Hill, Borough Park, Brighton Beach, Brooklyn Heights, Bushwick, Canarsie, Carroll Gardens, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, Coney Island, Crown Heights, DUMBO, Dyker Heights, East New York, Flatbush, Fort Greene, Gowanus, Gravesend, Greenpoint, Kensington, Marine Park, Midwood, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Red Hook, Sheepshead Bay, Sunset Park, Williamsburg, Windsor Terrace
New York County — Manhattan
Battery Park City, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Harlem, East Village, Financial District, Flatiron, Gramercy, Greenwich Village, Hamilton Heights, Harlem, Hell’s Kitchen, Hudson Yards, Inwood, Kips Bay, Lenox Hill, Lincoln Square, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Midtown, Morningside Heights, Murray Hill, NoHo, NoLita, SoHo, Tribeca, Turtle Bay, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Washington Heights, West Village, Yorkville
Bronx County
Baychester, Bedford Park, Belmont, Castle Hill, City Island, Concourse, Co-op City, Country Club, Eastchester, Fordham, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Kingsbridge, Melrose, Morris Park, Morrisania, Mott Haven, Norwood, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Riverdale, Soundview, Spuyten Duyvil, Throggs Neck, Tremont, University Heights, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, Woodlawn
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