Real Estate

Frequently Asked Questions

1.I closed a month ago. Why haven’t I received my Limited Warranty Deed?
2.How do I get to your office?
3.Do I need to pay $59.50 to buy a “Certified Copy of the Recorded Warranty Deed”?
4.What if I lose my original Warranty Deed?
5.When will I know how much I need to wire/bring for closing?
6.Can I request to change my closing schedule?
7.What do I need to add or remove a name on my title?
8.What do I do if I can’t come to closing?
9.I am out of state. Can I request a mail-out closing?
10.What is required for a Power of Attorney?
11.Are there any risks involved in appointing someone else to sign for me at closing with a Power of Attorney?
12.I closed last month, but I still haven’t received my first loan payment coupon. What should I do?
13.I received this year’s property tax bill. Do I need to pay?
14.This year’s actual property tax amount is different than what was prorated during closing. How can I request refund from the seller or buyer?
15.Can I get a copy of my Limited Warranty Deed?
16.What forms of payment do you accept for closing proceeds?
17.How can I choose you to be my closing attorney?

1.I closed a month ago. Why haven’t I received my Limited Warranty Deed?Top
After closing, the Limited Warranty Deed is sent to the court of the county your property is located in to be recorded. It usually takes a minimum of 30-60 days for the recorded Limited Warranty Deed to be returned from recording.

2.How do I get to your office?Top
Click here to see a map and get directions to our office.

3.Do I need to pay $59.50 to buy a “Certified Copy of the Recorded Limited Warranty Deed”?Top
No. Your lawyer’s office should have sent you the original Limited Warranty Deed with stamps from local county superior court showing the Deed Book and Page where the document was recorded. As long as the Limited Warranty Deed is recorded in the local county superior court, it will warrant your ownership over the property.

4.What if I lose my original Limited Warranty Deed?Top
You can always go to the superior court of the county where your property is located and ask for a certified copy. This copy, which shows the county recording stamps, will be sufficient to handle all your future transactions.

5.When will I know how much I need to wire/bring for closing?Top
You will know usually the day before closing, when the closing attorney’s office has received all documents from all responsible parties (including the lender). However, if the closing attorney isn’t able to provide you with the final amount, you can wire the money according to the Good Faith Estimate provided by your mortgage broker or lender, and bring your personal check for any possible additional amount. The Good Faith Estimate provided by your mortgage broker or lender should give you the estimated amount needed for closing.

6.Can I request to change my closing schedule?Top
Yes. After all parties have agreed to a new closing time, you can contact your closing attorney to reschedule the closing.

7.What do I need to add or remove a name on my title?Top
You will need to execute a Deed for this. We will need your existing Deed, tax bill, and current loan information in order to prepare one for you. Please contact us for an appointment or any questions other questions regarding this matter.

8.What do I do if I can’t come to closing?Top
The best solution is to let the closing attorney know that you cannot come to closing as soon as possible, and ask the closing attorney to draft a Power of Attorney for you.

9.I am out of state. Can I request a mail-out closing?Top
For efficiency and accuracy purposes, we strongly advise against doing a mail-out closing. Please consider using a Power of Attorney drafted by your closing attorney.

10.What is required for a Power of Attorney?Top
You will need to tell us who will be appointed as your attorney-in-fact (the person who is going to sign on behalf of you). Provide us with a copy of his driver’s license and a copy of your driver’s license. If you are the Seller, please also provide us with a copy of your Warranty Deed.

11.Are there any risks involved in appointing someone else to sign for me at closing with a Power of Attorney?Top
To prevent the appointed attorney-in-fact from signing the documents against your will, ask the closing attorney to provide you the documents for review prior to the signing of any document.

12.I closed last month, but I still haven’t received my first loan payment coupon. What should I do?Top
You should have received a “First Payment Letter” in the package given to you by your closing attorney at the closing. You can mail the mortgage payment according to the “First Payment Letter”, or you can contact your lender to obtain payment information.

13.I received this year’s property tax bill. Do I need to pay?Top
If you have an escrow account with your lender, you will usually not need to pay. However, you should always verify this with your lender. If you purchased your property using cash, you probably need to pay.

14.This year’s actual property tax amount is different than what was prorated during closing. How can I request refund from the seller or buyer?Top
Draft a letter to your opposing party and send it with a copy of the property tax bill to the address stated in the closing statement and request a re-proration recording the purchase contract.

15.Can I get a copy of my Limited Warranty Deed?Top
Yes, we will send the original Limited Warranty Deed to you as soon as it comes back from recording at the county courthouse. If you have lost the original copy we sent to you, send us a written request stating your name, property address, and who you are. We will send you a copy of the Limited Warranty Deed for a nominal fee.

16.What forms of payment do you accept for closing proceeds?Top

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §44-14-13, any funds due for closing in an amount over $5,000.00 must be in the form of a bank wire.? We will send you our escrow account wire instructions via encrypted email. Do not accept wire instructions from any other source. Funds due in an amount between $500.00 and $5,000.00 may be in the form of a bank wire, or certified or cashier’s check from a Georgia bank. Funds due in an amount less than $500.00 may be in the form of a personal check. Please be aware that if funds are tendered as a counter or direct deposit, they will not immediately post to our escrow account and will not be available for immediate credit. Further, there is an ACH block on our escrow account, so funds sent via ACH transfer will be returned by our bank without being posted to our account.
BEWARE! ONLINE BANKING FRAUD IS ON THE RISE! Please call the person who sends you the wire instruction or dial our officer number to verify the wire instruction before you send any funds to our firm!

17.How can I choose you to be my closing attorney?Top
Let your real estate agent know that you want us to be your closing attorney so that they can put our name in your purchase contact. If you are obtaining a loan, make sure the mortgage broker or lender understands that you have appointed Liu & Associates as your closing attorney.